Voyage to the Sea
by christianqueenofegypt
Summary: AU Rose is a poor Irish girl on board the ship Titanic with her mother, Ruth DeWitter. There, Rose befriends both Thomas Andrews and Jack Dawson. Despite her stalker, Cal Hockley, Rose falls in love with the sea, and a certain Irishman...
1. To Be or Not to Be?

Voyage to the Sea

By-christianqueenofegypt

Summary

AU Rose is a poor Irish girl on board the ship Titanic with her mother, Ruth DeWitter. While working, Rose befriends both the shipbuilder Thomas Andrews and Jack Dawson, a young artist. Despite her mother's desire for Rose to have a better life and marry Cal Hockley, Rose finds herself in love with the sea, and a certain Irishman…

Disclaimer: I do not own Titanic

Chapter 1: To Be...or Not to Be?

Ninety-two-year-old Rose Andrews paced up and down her living room apartment in Manhattan, New York, while waiting for her granddaughter Lizzy to call.

_If they've found what I think they will…Oh, Thomas! If only you were here! _The elderly woman thought as she looked up at the old photograph of her deceased husband Thomas E. Andrews upon the living room wall.

Suddenly the telephone rang. Rose nearly jumped. Then with anticipation and excitement, she picked up the phone.

"Hello?" she asked, not sure who was on the other end of the line.

"Grandma?" Lizzy asked. Rose smiled. "Yes, dear…what is it?" Her granddaughter, Lizzy Calvert had gone to run some errands, and was due back any minute.

"I wanted to tell you earlier, but I lost signal. Turn on the TV to CNN…there's a story about a historian and a computer whiz who found the sunken liner…"

Rose's eyes were as big as saucers. "What did they say her name was?" she asked breathlessly.

"The Titanic" The phone dropped. Rose felt dizzy as if she was going to fall over. Slowly she made her way over to the television and grabbed the remote turning it to the desired channel.

"Grandma?" Lizzy hollered. Frustrated, the woman hung up the phone. She had to get home!

"_... I have museum-trained experts here, making sure this stuff is preserved and catalogued properly. Look at this drawing, which was found today…" _

It was Thomas' drawing! The one where she was posing near the stern at sunset, the evening of their engagement! How had it survived?

The man called Brock Lovett told the reporter.

"_... Its a piece of paper that's been underwater for seventy-two years... and my team was_

_able to preserve it as if it was drawn yesterday. Should this have remained unseen at the bottom of the ocean for eternity, when we can see it and enjoy it now...?"_

Rose was hypnotized by the portrait. She blanched as she looked at the drawing. "Well, Glory be" she whispered.

Lizzy came in just then, carrying several bags of groceries in her arms. Rose turned to her, her face still as white as a ghost.

Lizzy looked with concern at her aging grandmother. "Grandma? Are you all right? You look as if you've seen a ghost."

Rose smiled a little. "Yes, perhaps…the ghost of your grandfather"

Lizzy gave Rose a funny look then looked at the television screen. The picture of a young woman on the stern of a liner, at what appeared to be sunset, was frozen on the screen.

"She's beautiful" Lizzy commented, admiring the portrait.

Rose smiled softly. "Oh, she was at one time, perhaps" Rose blinked back tears looking over at the wall.

Lizzy looked at the initials on the drawing. T.A. 4/13/1912

_T.A_. Lizzy thought. The younger woman whirled around at stared at her elderly relative.

"_Thomas Andrews_?" she cried in disbelief.

Rose chuckled softly. "Yes, my dear. Your grandfather Thomas Andrews drew that picture. And the girl he was drawing… was me"

Meanwhile…

Brock Lovett started whistling as he got ready to enter one of the submarines that would take him and Lewis Bodine down to the liner to investigate.

Suddenly he turned as Bobby Beull ran over to him, satellite phone in his hand.

"Phone call for you boss…some lady says she's a survivor of Titanic…she was married to the guy who drew that picture"

Brock raised an eyebrow. "What's her name?" he asked.

"Rose Andrews" came the reply. Brock sighed and took the phone. If this was some kind of prank…

"Hello?" he asked.

"Mr. Lovett?" came an Irish accent over the phone.

"Yes, I'm Brock Lovett…May I ask…?"

"My name is Rose Andrews. My husband and I were survivors on the Titanic"

Brock couldn't help but feel a sense of 'prove it'.

"Look at the picture closely, Mr. Lovett…Does the young woman have a dragon-fly comb in her hair?"

Lovett looked at the picture closely. Yes. The artist had taken special precaution to draw a comb in the young woman's hair.

"Yes, I see it" Brock said. Rose smiled at the other end of the line.

"What is your purpose, Mrs. Andrews? Why are you so interested in the drawing?" the historian asked, purely impressed that she had uncovered a detail that even he had missed.

"I'm only telling you this because I was the girl in the portrait."

Brock nearly dropped the phone. His mouth went dry.

"Also Mr. Lovett…perhaps you'd like to know about the 'Heart of the Ocean' as well?" Rose said, a twinkle in her eye.

Brock hurried out of the submarine and nearly knocked Anatoly over.

"How soon can we meet?" he asked.

Rose smiled. "As soon as you'd like" They said their goodbyes and Rose hung up the phone.

She smiled at Lizzy who looked confused. "Everything will be explained in due time" Rose winked.

She smiled sadly at the picture of Thomas again. Shaking her head, she called for her Irish setter, Shepherd.

"Here, Shep! There's a good boy…now, we have company coming, and I want you to be on your best behavior"

The dog barked. Rose smiled at the dog as she patted him. He'd been a great comfort when Thomas had died of a pneumonia ten years ago.

The Irish woman smiled to herself as she grabbed the dog's leash. She couldn't wait for tomorrow!

Lizzy unpacked Rose's things in the small utilitarian room. Rose is placing a number of photo frames on the nightstand, arranging them carefully, next to the fishbowl. Brock and Bodine are in the doorway.

"Is your stateroom alright?" Lovett asked.

"Yes. Very nice. Have you met my granddaughter, Lizzy? She takes care of me." Rose said with a smile. She'd seen the way Brock Lovett had eyed Lizzy.

"Yes. We met just a few minutes ago, grandma. Remember, up on deck?" Lizzy responded.

"Oh, yes. That's right" Rose answered.

Brock glanced at Bodine... _oh oh_. Bodine rolled his eyes.

Rose finishes arranging her photographs.

Lizzy looked at them remembering fondly her parents, her aunt and uncle, her cousins and siblings, and finally her dearly departed grandfather, Thomas Andrews, the ship's builder.

"There, that's nice. I have to have my pictures when I travel. And Shep of course." she grinned at the dog.

Rose smiled to herself as Lovett filled Lizzy in on the history of the diamond and so forth. They didn't know what she knew.

She looked at Thomas' picture again. So handsome, so bright and alive; and very mischievous.

She listened in on the last part of the conversation.

"If your grandma is who she says she is, she had the diamond two days before Titanic sank." Lovett said with a smile.

He looked at Rose.

"And that makes you my new best friend. I will happily compensate you for

anything you can tell us that will lead to its recovery."

"I don't want your money, Mr. Lovett. I know how hard it is for people who

care greatly for money to give some away." Rose said with a smile.

"You don't want anything?" Bodine asked skeptically.

Rose pointed at the drawing. "You may give me this, if anything I tell you is of value."

Lovett nodded. "Deal."

Rose smiled. "Then I'm ready to begin my tale."

She waited for everyone to get comfortable then began her story…


	2. Boarding

Chapter 2- Boarding

April 10th 1912

Nineteen year old Rose DeWitter tugged at her mother's arm slightly, as the wagon made a rather abrupt stop on the dock.

"Come _on_ Mum or we'll be late!" the younger of the two women said excitedly.

Rose and her mother would be working on this, _Titanic_'s first voyage, and Rose personally hated being late for anything.

"Alright, Rose- slow the carriage a wee bit" Ruth laughed as she paid the wagon fare.

Personally, she felt that four pence a piece was a bit expensive, but she and her daughter would receive that and more as well as free passage on _Titanic_.

Ruth and Rose boarded the large ship through the servants' entrance off to the side. As the two were trying to find the staterooms that they would have on one of the lower decks, Ruth was stopped by someone calling her name. She turned and noticed their gracious benefactor, shipbuilder, and close family friend, Thomas Edmund Andrews.

"Ruth! Ruth DeWitter!" he called, waving to her. Ruth smiled at the young man who was no older than twenty-eight, as he came near.

"Well hullo, Mr. Andrews. It's so lovely to see ye again!" Mr. Andrews let out a good natured chuckle.

"Ruth, you know I've always been Tomas to you, even after Charles died."

(A/N: I've taken license here and switched Mr. Andrews' name to 'Tomas' in this sentence, since he's Irish…Rose and the others will call him 'Thomas' (or Mr. Andrews as the case may be ^_^ ))

Rose looked at the man in surprise. He had known her father? She surveyed this man, Thomas, as he called himself.

He was tall, very handsome, and looked to be only a mere eight to ten years older than Rose herself.

Looking at his hands clasped in front of him, she noticed they were large and strong, a worker's hands…the hands of a ship builder.

"Rose!" Rose snapped to attention "I'm sorry" she murmured. "What was it ye said?"

Ruth eyed her daughter mischievously. She'd seen the way Rose had eyed Mr. Andrews.

"I said, dearie, that this gentleman is Mr. Thomas Edmund Andrews…he was a friend of your father and I, long before you were born…He built the _Titanic_."

Rose nodded, and looked at Mr. Andrews. He looked down at her, a smile on his face and mirth in his eyes.

"A pleasure to meet you sir" Rose said, curtsying slightly. Mr. Andrews smiled at her, outstretching his hand.

"An honor, m'lady" he winked, kissing her hand.

Rose blushed. Ruth smiled a little and cleared her throat.

"Now Rose, Mr. Andrews and I have spoken, and we are to report any trouble with the ship or other staff to him."

Rose nodded. "Right, then" said Mr. Andrews "If you ladies will follow me, I will assist you to your rooms"

Ruth and Rose did as asked and followed the gentleman up the stairs and to his office.

Once entering, Mr. Andrews walked to the top left drawer in his desk and pulled out a ring of keys.

"If you ladies will follow me" the man said, noticing that Rose had stepped toward the window and seemed to be staring out _past_ the ship, _past_ the passengers, and far to the horizon, to the _sea_.

_I wonder if she misses Ireland as I do. _Thomas thought. _Perhaps we shall return there together someday…_

Thomas rid his head of the thought…he'd just met the lass, there was to be no thought of that kind, especially of Charles' daughter. Thomas shook his head.

Charles DeWitter had constantly been on his mind, everyday even, since the accident, but Andrews found he could not rid himself of the nightmare that had happened nearly ten years ago.

Thomas shuddered as he thought about it. It was as if it had happened just yesterday…

Flashback

_Charles DeWitter had been a good man, an Irishman through and through. Thomas could still hear his burly commanding voice as he barked orders to the builders on the ship, the __**Arizona**__**.**_

"_**Alright, lads, steady 'er now! Oy! O'Malley! Hoist 'er up on yonder port side!"**_

_The men were hard at work hauling shipments of lumber and steel up to the main deck at sea. Young Thomas Andrews, eighteen at the time, watched in fascination as ten men, all bronzed and sweaty from the Irish mid-day sun beating on their backs, hauled five tons of steel by rope to the main deck of the __**Arizona.**__ Suddenly, Peter Andrews, Thomas Andrews' father, came over to stand beside him, surveying the progress. _

"_How goes it over yonder, Tomas?" Peter asked._

_Thomas grinned. "As smooth as the sea herself, sir" he saluted. _

_Peter grinned. "Aye, good lad…ye keep an eye on things, and holler if there's trouble."_

_Thomas nodded and looked back to the workers as his father walked away._

_There was trouble. One of the starboard ropes was loose, and the sailor needed help with it. Unfortunately, one of the other mates let go of the rope while the others looked at the commotion. The ropes slacked, and Charles was underneath the load…_

_Thomas ran as fast as his feet would take him. He was thirty feet away from the workers, and he prayed he'd get there in time. How on earth could these men be so careless? Thomas finally got toward the group of men and grabbed hold of Charles' rope, pulling for all he was worth. _

"_Oy, ye sluggards! Get ye to yer ropes, Now!" Thomas hollered. _

_He and the others pulled harder, but Thomas could already hear the sickening pull of three of the ropes starting to snap. _

"_Oy! Dat! Hurry! We can't hold it much longer! Charlie, get out of there!" Thomas hollered. _

_Peter Andrews hurried to his son's side, grabbing the rope from him. He just barely saw Charles DeWitter under the load, trying as quickly as he could to make it from underneath the long and equally wide passage of weight looming above him. How on Earth could this happen?_

"_Hurry and get the starboard side of this raised! O'Malley! Easy on the port side, man!" Peter pulled along with the others, but he too could hear the slow snapping of ropes. His stomach sank to his shoes. _

"_I gotta get him 'outta there!" Thomas said, ready to run and save Charles. _

"_Tomas, no! C'mon, men, Hur- NO!" Peter and Thomas screamed at the same time. _

_The starboard side of the load tilted and the mates moved out of the way without any consideration for Charles. He was still underneath…_

"_No! Charles!" Peter screamed, as the seventy- five tons collapsed onto his friend. There had been nothing. No scream, no movement, just…_

"_No!" Thomas shrieked. He ran toward the wreckage, wanting to beat the devil out of any of them who dared not to save his father's friend. Charles DeWitter had been a kind, gentle man, with a wife and a ten year old daughter at home. How would he tell them? That their father and husband died by his hands? _

_Peter stopped his son and grabbed Thomas, pulling the boy to his chest. That scene was unfit for any man…Charles DeWitter had in a sense, been murdered. Peter shielded _Thomas from _witnessing the gruesome scene. _

"_There, now Tomas…steady lad" Peter whispered hoarsely. _

_Thomas continued to weep softly. "'Tis all my fault Dat…I should have gotten there sooner" _

_Peter held his son by the shoulder, shaking him slightly._

_"No use in blamin' yerself, boyo...what happened to Charles was an accident... don't let yer mind decieve ye" _

End Flashback

Thomas shook his head, rubbing his forehead with his handkerchief.

It was true that Charles Ivan DeWitter's death had been an accident, but despite what his father had told him all those years ago, Thomas still took on the burden of responsibility.

Peter had told Ruth the truth years ago, but Thomas had not had the heart to tell them that he had been a part of the whole catastrophe.

_Poor Rose _Thomas thought. He felt guilty in a sense, her not having a father. He'd met her only that night, while traveling with his father to bear the bad news.

He remembered her as a small little girl, with long red braided hair and tears in her stunning blue eyes.

Thomas saw those tears now, as she looked at him, as she remembered the fateful night that she learned of the tragedy that took her father's life.

Coming quickly to his senses, Thomas smiled at the two ladies, and escorted them to their rooms, the two vacant ones next to his on the prominent A-deck.

Rose took one look at the marvelous stateroom and gasped. Thomas smiled softly to himself. She had obviously never seen anything so grand.

"T-this is mine?" she asked. Thomas nodded his head. "Yes, Rose...its yours" She gasped again, letting out a happy little giggle as she took in her surroundings.

There was a fireplace at one side of the room, ornately designed in golden bordered cherry-wood. The screen covered the fireplace, and the tools were made of brass.

On the other side of the room, the bed looked beautiful with its four posts acting almost like a canopy.

Rose looked around the room in awe, gently touching everything, from the marble sitting table by the oval mirror on the wall, to the beauru drawrs to hold her clothes, though she didn't have many.

Rose smiled again as she ran her hand along the bedspread, sat down, and bounced once or twice.

"I suppose I'll have to dust in here too, she said with a grin"Thomas shook his head surprised. "No, Rose, there will be a maid to come in here to clean yours and your mother's rooms. I've spoken with the staff, and everything is taken care of"

Rose gasped. "Oh, Mum! Is it true?" Ruth smiled from the doorway. "Aye, love...our Mr. Andrews here has thought of nothing except our comfort, even while we work" Thomas blushed modestly.

"Ah, it feels as if this were a dream" Rose giggled again, doing a slight jig around the room. Thomas laughed to himself. Such a lively, spirited lass Rose was.

"Oh, Mr. Andrews...How can I ever thank ye?" Rose rushed to him, extending her hands out to him, but as if she remembered her place, she placed them quickly behind her back. He was near royalty for goodness sake!

Thomas couldn't help but notice the slight pang of hurt he felt, as she hid her hands. Such small dainty hands they were, though strong, and made for work.

How lovely they would fit in his, he was sure, complete perfection. Being twenty-eight, he was single, and unattached. After the death of Charles DeWitter, all thoughts turned to working off the debt he felt he owed, to the world, and to Charles DeWitter and his family.

That work had culminated into the finished _Arizona. _During that time, Thomas had felt no need to think about, or look for a wife.

Now, however, with Titanic a sailing success on her way to New York, Thomas had a little more time on his hands, despite the bothersome need to go about the ship, analyzing problems, and seeing to passengers' complaints.

Thomas continually was bombarded with problems, therefore, he kept a small black notebook and pen with him at all times.

Thomas was now shaken out of his thoughts by Rose asking him a question.

"Mr. Andrews, is there a specific place my mother and I are to start working?" Thomas shook his head.

"No, Rose, you and your mother are not to start until this evening, when everyone is at dinner" Rose nodded.

Ruth looked thoughtful. "And I, Mr. Andrews? How am I to start mending?" Thomas smiled, trying not to laugh.

"Not to worry, Ruth. I have asked that all passengers place their mending clothes into a small basket in their rooms. Rose will see to the tidying of the rooms, while ye set yer nimble fingers to that fancy needlework of yours" he grinned.

Ruth laughed slightly, blushing modestly. "Oh, Mr. Andrews! Really now, imagine ye setting yer fancy on an old maid like me"

At this all three laughed. "Yer not old, Mum" Rose smiled, petting her mother's arm. Ruth chuckled a little. "Nay, maybe not, but yer a better fit for Tom here, than me, Rosie"

Rose blushed, and her eyes glassed over at the mention of the pet name her father had used. Thomas winced, then cleared his throat.

"Now, If ye come with me, how about I give ye your own private tour of _Titanic_?"

Rose looked up at him, wide-eyed. "Really?"

Thomas nodded, reaching for her hand. "It's the least I can do to show how grateful I am" Mr. Andrews kissed Rose's hand again, and her blush was about as red as her hair.

"Oh, erm, thank ye" she giggled nervously. Ruth chuckled. "Now, then you two...let's get a hurryin' before the others board."

Thomas and Rose looked at her, both blushing a light pink. Blue stared up at brown, and both locked for at least two minutes.

"Come along!" Ruth clucked. Rose felt a little slighted by her mother's intrusion. Such intensive, kind, beautiful brown orbs that such graced the man, Thomas Andrews, and little did she know, he was thinking the same of her blue eyes.

"Perhaps we'd better...?" Rose started. Thomas cleared his throat. "Aye, perhaps we should" With that, the two Irishers left the room, Thomas being careful to lock the door and place the key in his pocket before he left.

How ironic it was. He had only known her for the space of an hour, and yet, he was the only one with the single key to the girl's room.

_I'll give it to her later_ Thomas thought to himself, _But no, 'tis best I keep it, else it may be gone..._

(A/N: What he didn't ponder though, was that it would be an excellent excuse for him to walk Rose to her stateroom each evening..._that's_ an interesting prospect ^_^)

Thomas shook his head and walked on. It wouldn't be long before Titanic sailed. He hurried to catch Rose and Ruth. Oh how glorious this voyage would be!


	3. Rose's Rescuer

**Disclaimer: cqofegypt does not own Titanic**

Chapter 3: Rose's Rescuer

Rose sighed as she finished scrubbing the poop-deck, the last chore of the night.

_How daft these rich folk are, not picking up after their dogs...tis blarney!_ she thought.

Rose brought the pail over to the bough of the ship, hoisting most of the waste over the side.

She made a face at the putrid stench. _Yuk! _she thought, squinting up her nose.

Putting the bucket down, Rose covered herself more with her coat.

"Brrr...it's cold out tonight" she murmured. Suddenly, the Irish girl saw something out of the corner of her eye. It was big, black, and it was moving. Rose was fascinated.

_Perhaps if I just get on the rail a wee bit to see... _Rose hoisted herself on three rungs of the rail, which was a bit slippery, due to the condensation of the sea.

Rose smiled as she looked out at the dark inky blackness, and the foggy sky. It was then she thought of the hymn her father had taught her long ago: Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing.

After all of these years, even after the death of her father, Rose and Ruth both had learned to count their blessings.

Rose smiled and began to sing.

_Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing_

_Tune my heart to sing Thy grace_

_Streams of mercy never ceasing _

_Call for songs of loudest praise_

_Teach me some melodious sonnet_

_Sung by flaming tongues above_

_Praise the Mount I'm fixed upon it_

_Mount of Thy Redeeming love. _

Leaning over the rail to see the propellers, Rose didn't notice a young man come up behind her.

"Don't do it!" Rose whipped her head around, and noticed a young man, about her age, sneaking up slowly behind her.

Rose's sense of alarm heightened. She tightened her grip on the handle of the bucket; she hadn't gotten rid of _all_ the waste.

"Stay back! Don't come any closer!" Rose shouted. She blinked. The wind was so cold, it brought tears to her eyes.

The boy, Jack Dawson, only saw the bucket in her hand, and her scrunched up face in the dim light.

"Take my hand, I'll help you back down!"

Rose shook her head adamantly. "No! Now stay back, I mean it, or I'll hurl it!"

Jack stopped in his tracks. "No!" he said. Rose looked at him, annoyed.

"What do you mean, no? Don't tell me what I can and cannot do...you don't know me!"

Jack smiled slightly. "You would have hurled the bucket already. Now come on, give me the bucket, and let me help you down from there."

Rose was confused. Holding onto the bucket, she tried wiping off more of the condensation that was building on the top rail.

Looking at the boy nervously she said: "I'm trying to finish my chores. You're distracting me...go away!"

Jack shook his head. "I can't" he said. "I'm in this now. If you don't give me that bucket, and come down, I'll have to find another way of doing things"

Rose scoffed. "Don't be daft! You'll be covered in filth!"

Jack took a step toward her. "I'll take a bath" he said, taking another step toward her.

Rose snickered and squinted up her nose. "The stench alone would make you hurl"

Jack smiled. "It would stink, I'm not saying it wouldn't. Truth is, I'm a lot more worried about that water being so cold."

Rose looked down and gulped. Falling in the cold, black water didn't sound very appealing.

Rose looked back at the boy. "How cold is it?" she asked.

Jack took a couple more steps toward her. _Man oh man...where's Mr. Andrews when I need 'im?_ he thought.

"It's freezing" Jack said. "Maybe a couple degrees below that." he took another step closer.

Changing the subject, Jack decided on a new topic. "You ever been to Wisconsin?" he asked.

Rose shook her head. "No" she answered.

Jack smiled as if remembering something from his past, in truth, he was.

"Well they have some of the coldest winters around, and I grew up there, near Chippewa Falls. Once when I was a kid me and my father were ice-fishing out on Lake Wissota... ice-fishing's where you chop a hole in the-"

Rose shut her eyes, thinking of the times when she was a wee girl, and how she and her parents would go ice fishing as a family every winter. It had been one of their favorite things to do, until Charles' death when Rose was but ten years old.

"I know what ice fishing is!" she cried hoarsely. Honestly she wished this boy would go, and leave her alone.

Jack winced at her tone.

"Sorry. Just... you look like a forest girl. Anyway, I went through some thin ice and I'm tellin' ya, water that cold... like that right down there... it hits you like a thousand knives all over your body. You can't breath, you can't think... least not about anything but the pain."

He took off his jacket.

"Which is why I'm not looking forward to jumping in after you. But like I said, I don't see a choice. I guess I'm kinda hoping you'll come off the rail and get me off the hook here."

Rose wanted to ask who he was working for, but didn't. "You're nuts!" she said.

Jack looked at her in detail. She looked like one of those people who needed love, guidance, and protection. She looked lost without someone to guide her.

Jack shook his head. He'd always had a knack for seeing people. That was one of the reasons he'd become an artist.

He smiled at her. "That's what everybody keeps telling me. But with all due respect, I'm not the one leaning over the back of a ship.

Jack slid one step closer, like moving up to a frightened animal. "Come on, You don't want to slip and fall in. Give me the bucket."

Jack stepped next to her, touching the small of her back. Rose glared at him.

"Why are you so concerned? Ye don't even know what's in the bucket."

Jack grinned. "I know it stinks to high Heaven" Rose smiled slightly.

"I also know that a pretty girl like you shouldn't be swabbing the decks like this..." By now, Jack's hand had made it to Rose's torso, ready to help her down, when he felt a pain on his right cheek.

"Ow!" he yelped in surprise. "Hey! What's-?" Adding insult to injury, the girl also splashed the remaining contents of the bucket onto her would-be 'rescuer'.

"Hey!" Jack took his hand away from her abdomen, accidentally knocking over the bucket, making it fall into the ocean.

Rose reached down for it, only to slip and fall over the rail. She plunged, letting out a blood-curdling scream.

Jack rolled his eyes, then realized that Thomas Edmund Andrews was VERY capable of throwing HIM overboard should he dare let anything happen to any of the passengers...including this girl.

Jack grabbed Rose's hand, but was jerked quickly to the rail. There were five rungs from the top down, Rose was on rung number three, barely hanging on.

Rose barely had time to grab on to the next rail as she let out another blood-curdling scream.

Jack winced. Did she have to scream so loud? Looking into her fiery blue eyes, he realized...Yes!

Quartermaster Rowe, followed by Thomas Andrews, Captain Smith, Bruce Ismay, Spicer Lovejoy and several others rushed out of the dining hall on deck find out what was wrong.

Andrews leaped down the stairs, looking in both directions across deck, when down near the fantail, he saw a young man down by the railing doing-_something_.

Walking over, Andrews noticed the young man was Jack Dawson. Jack took his gaze off of Rose for a second and saw Mr. Andrews.

"Mr. Andrews! Thank God! I'm gonna need your help!" was panting, and closing his eyes in pain. His arm was getting tired.

"Augh!" Jack hissed. Andrews leaned over the rail, and looked down. Someone was dangling off the edge of the ship!

"Merciful Heavens!" Andrews cried. Kneeling down next to Jack, Andrews noticed that the figure was that of the young woman, a very _familiar_ young woman...in fact, it looked like-

"_**Rose**_!" Thomas Andrews cried, reaching down for her hand. How on Earth had she fallen like this?

Rose looked up. _Mr. Andrews! _"Rose! Reach up and grab my hand, quickly!" Rose nodded and willed herself to reach for his hand with her other one.

Suddenly, Jack let go of Rose. Rose let out a shriek of terror. Andrews' heart sank. If she fell into that water...but there was no time to think about that

He gripped her hand tighter and grabbed her other one. Doing this caused him to lean over the railing. He grunted. "Rose! I'm going to pull you up as quickly as I can! Do not attempt to gain any footing until I say, alright?"

Praying for strength, Andrews prepared himself to lift her up.

Rose was crying. "I'll fall!" she cried. Surprised, Andrews looked down at her, and shook his head firmly. He had just gained her trust and friendship, he was not going to lose her now, not this way!

"Rose Margaret DeWitter, you will **not** fall! Do you understand?" Rose nodded. Andrews gently and firmly grabbed both hands.

He lifted her up: One...two...three...

"Now, Rose, put your feet on the deck." Obediently, Rose put her feet on the deck, one right after the other. Holding her hands firmly around Mr. Andrews' neck, she climbed the railing posts until he grabbed her waist and pulled her back up over the rail.

Once she was safely on deck, everyone cheered and rushed to Rose. Andrews let out the breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding.

While the others milled around Rose, Andrews turned to Jack and clapped him on the shoulder. "I want to thank you, Jack... if it weren't for you, Rose wouldn't be here now."

Jack looked down at the floorboards of the deck. "Thanks, but I almost dropped her...you're the one who really saved her."

Andrews smiled kindly. Jack was too modest for his own good, it was sadly ironic. "What matters is that she's here now"

Jack nodded. "Thanks, Mr. Andrews" Andrews smiled again. "You're welcome, lad. Now, if you want a bit of advice, a tub of scalding water and a clump of lye helps to get rid of the odor"

Andrews grinned at Jack's blush...he'd understood perfectly. "Yes, sir" he mumbled.

Mr. Andrews turned his attention to Rose, who'd been led away from Caledon Hockley, and had been standing next to Mr. Lovejoy for the past five minutes.

"You and I are going to have a nice long chat tomorrow, my dear" Andrews whispered in Rose's ear. Rose looked up and nodded at him ruefully.

She turned to Jack. "Thank you" she said quietly. Jack smiled at her. "You're welcome...what was your name again?" he asked.

"Rose DeWitter" she answered, feeling safe and secure with Mr. Andrews beside her. Andrews noticed her shivering, and immediately draped his jacket around her.

Jack noticed this. _Hmmm_ he thought with a smile. "It's nice to meet you, Rose. I'm Jack Dawson" Rose smiled kindly and shook his offered hand.

"It's nice to meet you, Mr. Daw-" no sooner had she said that, she fainted with exhaustion. Andrews scooped her up effortlessly and gently in his strong arms. Jack grinned at this.

"More socializing tomorrow" Andrews said quietly, carrying Rose to her stateroom.

Jack smiled as he watched Mr. Andrews walk away with the unconscious girl.

Rose.


	4. Jack

**Disclaimer: cqofegypt does not own Titanic**

Chapter 4: Jack

April 11th 1912

Thomas Andrews looked up from his desk at the sound of a knock at the door. "Come in!" he called.

Henry Adams, his steward, came in looking rather confused and worried. "Good morning, sir" he said quietly.

Thomas smiled. "Good morning, Henry...what can I do for you?" Thomas stood up. "Well, sir, I couldn't help but feel concerned at the sound of banging on one of the stateroom doors. I think someone is locked inside!"

Thomas did a double take. "Say what?" he asked. _Oh dear _he thought.

It appeared that after he had woken up, he had forgotten to unlock Rose's room door. He shuddered to think of her reaction. She'd probably be spitting fire when he unlocked her out.

"Er-thank you Henry...will that be all?" Thomas asked, fumbling a little with his ring of keys.

"No, sir...It appears that that steerage man wanted to see you...what was his name? Ah, yes! A Mr. Jack Dawson."

Thomas smiled. He had met Jack nearly a week ago in Southampton, England. Thomas was nearing the end of the preparations for the voyage and had entered one of the pubs for a late lunch, when he noticed two boys, an American and an Italian, in the middle of a heated poker game with two Swedish thugs.

(A/N: Now Disclaimer above, I don't own Titanic...this is what _could_ have happened if Jack hadn't won the poker game)

_Flashback_

**One week earlier- An English Pub**

(A/N: Now Disclaimer above, I don't own Titanic...this is what _could_ have happened if Jack hadn't won the poker game)

_**"Now, you two brats get caught cheatin' and I'll wring both your dirty necks!" **one of the Swedes said. _

_The American smiled a wry smile, a cigarette hanging out of one corner of his mouth. "I wouldn't go accusin' anybody of cheatin' yet, Sven...better look at your ape of a cousin over there!" _

_Thomas smirked. The waitress set his beer down and he waited for his order of fish and chips. (very common meal in England, fish and French fries) _

_**"Hey'a now! Jackee and me...we a not a cheatin'!"**__the Italian growled. Jack looked at him and gave him a look. **"Easy, there 'brizze...we'll kick their sorry butts yet!"**_

_Jack set down a full house. **"Read it and weep, ya'll" **Sven looked at his cousin and nodded. **"Diamonds...straight!" **Olaf grinned. _

_**"And in your honor...A royal flush" **Sven smiled crudely, setting down his cards. Fabrizzio cursed in Italian. Jack put a hand to his head in shock...they had lost. _

_**"Mama, mia!"**_ _Fabrizzio moaned_. (A/N: lol I have always looked for an excuse to say that! ^_^)

_Thomas felt an uneasy feeling in his stomach...something didn't feel right. He looked closer at Sven's sleeves. Sure enough, it looked like the Swede was hiding a mass of three to five cards up his sleeve. _(no pun intended)

_**"This 'aint right!" **Jack scowled._ _**"See you in America, suckers!" **Olaf crowed as he and Sven high-tailed it to the door, just as Jack's beer bottle slammed and crashed to the floor, mere centimeters from Sven's head. _

_**"Why those dirty, double-crossin', dim-witted, dopes!"** Jack muttered, tossing over his chair. 'Brizzi still had his head in his hands. _

_**"My mama told me...never trust a Swedes...now our money's gone!"**_ _Jack nodded, disappointed. He'd planned to make it to America, make a fresh start...now it looked like they'd never get there...especially on a boat as grand as the **Titanic. **_

_**"Excuse me"** Jack looked up. Fabrizzio lifted his head from his hands. There stood a man they'd never seen before. _

_**"Who are you?"** Jack asked. The man smiled. **"Don't worry about my name" **he said. He motioned to the table. _

_**"Lost your poker game, I see"** the stranger said. Jack nodded. **"Yeah, what's it to ya?" **The man chuckled softly. **"I just want to help repay you for what you lost...seeing as how you were cheated" **_

_Jack sulked. **"Yeah, we were cheated all right" **The stranger shook his head. **"So, I suppose you know that that man Sven had about four or five cards up his sleeve" **_

_**"Yea-wait...what are you saying?" **The stranger shook his head again. **"You know what I mean, Jack" **_

_Jack's eyes widened and he cursed under his breath. **"That dirty, son-of-a..." **The man held up a hand. _

_**"Please, there'll be no cursin' round me...I'm a Christian man, so I'll ask ye to not do that"** Jack looked at him. _

_**"What are you, Irish?"** he asked. The man nodded his head again. **"I'm also you're friend...Come with me...I'll get you aboard **Titanic**."**_

_Jack looked at him, testing him. **"Yeah? How?"**_

_Their mysterious acquaintance smiled once more. **"Because, Mr. Dawson...I'm the man who built her"**_

_End Flashback_

**Thomas Andrews' Office** cont'd

Thomas grinned to himself. Jack had been fully surprised and had wondered how Thomas had figured out their names. That had been easy. He'd just asked the bartender.

"Mr. Andrews?" Thomas looked up. "Ah, good morning to you Jack...I trust you and Mr. De Rossi had a good night's rest"

Jack nodded and grinned. "Best night's sleep I've had in a long time." Thomas grinned as well. "Well that's good news"

Chuckling, he added lowly: "You're smelling a bit better too" Jack paled, then his ears turned red. "Yeah" he said.

"So, is anything for this morning?" Jack asked, wanting to change the subject.

Thomas nodded. Since he had helped both Jack and Fabrizzio get aboard the ship, despite crude snobbish looks from Second Officer Lightoller, Thomas had entered a barter ship with the two boys.

They would help him with relaying events to the first class, and in exchange, with the help of Mrs. Molly Brown, the boys both got a change of wardrobe.

"My son outgrew this stuff a long time ago," she had said with a laugh. "He won't be needing it anymore"

For that Thomas was grateful, seeing as how his clothes would be too big on the boys.

"If you could kindly relay the events of the dinner party and Masquerade for tomorrow night, I'd greatly appreciate it" Thomas smiled.

"Ah," he patted his pocket again. "If you gentlemen will excuse me," he walked out of the room for a moment. Jack cocked his head curiously.

He followed the mysterious Mr. Andrews out of his office and down the hall to a certain stateroom.

"Good morning, Rose" Mr. Andrews said, in a rather guilty sounding voice. The girl, Rose, who Jack recognized from the night before, looked up at Mr. Andrews with a patient look in her eye, but a slight frown on her face.

"Good morning, sir" she answered, curtsying. Thomas cleared his throat. "Forgive me, darlin...I had been preoccupied this morning, and I forgot to unlock the door"

Rose tried not to giggle and did her best to contain her blush. He'd actually called her 'darlin'. "'Tis alright, if you'll excuse me, I'd better start looking now"

Thomas nodded. "Yes, 'tis best, I suppose...your mother's gone to the kitchen already, I think"

Rose gasped and ran down the hall to the kitchen quarters in an un-lady like manner. Thomas chuckled.

"Is she your daughter?" Thomas jumped at hearing Jack behind him. "What? Oh, no...she isn't. She-"

Jack grinned. Andrews' face was getting redder by the second. _He likes her! _Jack thought remembering how the man had carried her to her stateroom after she'd fainted.

Jack himself had only glimpsed the girl rushing past, but recognized her long red hair, and cream colored skin, tainted with the same blush Andrews had now.

_Heh, this should be fun! _Jack thought. He grabbed Fabrizzio's arm, and they went back to their staterooms to get ready for the big announcement.

Little did he know that he would encounter the disaster that would change his, Mr. Andrews', and Rose's lives forever!

**The Grand Staircase**

Jack Dawson and Fabrizzio De Rossi entered the room where the grand staircase was located, walked up to the top of the stairs near the clock, and turned to

face the elegantly dressed ladies and gentleman.

Both youths had groomed themselves to the hilt, combing their hair back, and so far, no one had realized that they belonged to the third class.

They looked rather sharp, though Jack's shirt sleeves kept slipping down.

"Ladies and gentleman! May I have your attention, please?" the gentry looked at them, wondering just who these two young men were.

Lady Guinevere Macy and her daughter Gabriella looked up at Jack with 'mightier than thou' looks on their faces.

(When you see Gabriella, think of the girl on Ella Enchanted ^_^)

"On behalf of Mr. Andrews, my friend Mr. De Rossi and I would like to announce that there will be a gala tomorrow night. In honor of the French New Year, there will be a Masquerade Ball, and a dinner party in the main ballroom. All eligible first class members are invited to attend. Who knows… maybe one of the young ladies will be able to capture Mr. Andrews by the end of the party"

_Though I wouldn't bet on it!_ Jack thought as he thought again of Mr. Andrews and Rose.

There were several chuckles from the men, and several whispers from the young ladies.

"With this news, we advise you all, young ladies especially, to get a good night's rest! That's all." Fabrizzio grinned. "Grazi!' he said waving.

Some people laughed, others just ignored him. Jack stepped down, and (unfortunately) bumped into Gabriella.

"Oh, Mr. Ummm" Jack looked at her with a _really?_ look.

"Dawson" he said, wondering what this girl wanted, or, rather, what she was up to.

"Mr. Dawson, yes…I was wondering… is there any way that I-uh, will be able to… _speak_ with Mr. Andrews by any chance?"

Jack coughed. Fabrizzio tried his best to stifle his laughter. There was no way Mr. Andrews would even _think_ about looking twice in this young lady's direction.

She was rather plain and ordinary looking, and she didn't have a sense of grace, or poise for that matter.

_Only in your dreams!_ Jack thought. To Gabriella he said, "I don't believe so, miss….I think he's rather busy in his office this evening…. Perhaps I can arrange an appointment with him for you"

Fabrizzio looked at Jack as if he'd gone insane. Mr. Andrews speak alone with _this_ girl? And what about Rose, how would she feel about that?

Jack nudged him, and Fabrizzio looked down at Jack's crossed fingers. Febrizzio grinned slightly and let out a sigh of relief.

Suddenly the tenseness returned as Thomas Andrews himself entered the foyer.

"Oh, Mr. Andrews!" Gabriella cried, rushing down the stairs and nearly tripping on her dress, before Jack and Fabrizzio could stop her.

Thomas looked up and noticed a fair young lady with long blond hair rushing toward him.

He blushed, looking over her at Jack, who shrugged.

"Oh Mr. Andrews, I'm glad I was able to speak with you! Your _servant_ said I wouldn't be able to make your acquaintance until tomorrow" she gave Jack an evil glare.

Thomas smiled at her rather awkwardly, but he was kind nonetheless.

"How can I help you, miss?" he asked, his accent sending shivers up Gabriella's spine.

Gabriella giggled wickedly. No matter how many would try, _**she**_ would be the one to capture Mr. Andrews' heart!

**Noon**

Rose DeWitter went about Gabriella Macy's stateroom, dusting, sweeping, and cleaning. She looked up startled as said girl barged into the room.

"You!" she said.

Rose looked at her, bewildered. "Yes, ma'am?" she asked.

Gabriella looked about the room, perking up her nose. "By the time I return this evening, I want this room** spotless! **And I also want my best gown pressed for tomorrow night...there is to be a Masquerade Ball upon the greatest ship that ever sailed the seas! I want to look my _**best**_!"

Rose looked down at the floor, tried not to snort, and curtsied slightly. "Yes, ma'am" she said quietly. Gabriella turned toward the door, but turned around as if she remembered something.

"By the way...I saw you talking with Mr. Andrews earlier today. I want you to _stay away _from him. He is to be my future _husband, _and I don't want a little hussy like _you_ getting in our way!"

Rose blushed scarlet. How dare this young whelp talk to her that way! Mr. Andrews was her friend, at least, she hoped as much.

"Aye, ma'am" Rose said, curtsying slightly.

"And another thing...stop talking in that ridiculous accent...you're copying Mr. Andrews...it's perfectly pathetic"

Rose blushed again, looking down at her shoes. "As you wish" she whispered.

"You can go now" Gabriella said, twirling in her dress. Rose curtsied one last time and left the room, but not before she got a good look at Gabriella dancing and talking to herself in the mirror.

_I shall never speak to Mr. Andrews again!_ Rose thought, as she ran down the foyer, bumping into Lady Macy.

"See here now, Agatha! What is the meaning of this?" Lady Macy shrieked. "My name is ROSE!" the lass shouted before she continued down the hall in tears.

**The Cafe**

"So, Tom...any chance that we may be able to pick up speed?" Bruce Ismay asked, while smoking a cigarette.

Thomas sighed. Bruce had constantly been after him about speeding up their course to New York, but he just didn't feel it was wise.

'Titanic is built for speed, Tom...you can at least show these fine people what she's made of.' Bruce had told him earlier. Thomas had still felt unsure.

Being the fact that _Titanic_ was one of the seven wonders of the world, and the most famous at the moment, Bruce really wanted the world to see how great of a ship she really was.

_Not to mention get more publicity for himself_. Thomas thought wryly. He sighed. He was in the company of Ismay, Molly Brown, The Astors, Colonel and Lady Gracie, Lady Macy, Caledon Hockley, and Ruth, who he'd invited to tag along. Partly because he secretly wished that he wasn't there, and partly because he felt she might enjoy herself.

Thomas looked in her direction, and noticed she was in a conversation with Molly Brown.

(A/N: Ok...you know how in Titanic, Ruth DeWitt Bukater and Molly Brown don't really get along? well, in this one they do...Molly is still the 'newcomer', while Ruth gets to 'play' the part)

"Do you have any kids?" Thomas heard Mrs. Brown ask. Ruth nodded. "I have a daughter. Rose" Molly smiled. "Rose. That's such a pretty name...I'd like to meet her"

Ruth smiled. "I think you will, Mrs. Brown...tonight at supper."

Thomas smiled to himself. How he wished that Rose were here among them. He missed her sorely. He looked up as Cal Hockley, the multibillionaire oil tycoon, was speaking to Ruth.

"How old is your daughter?" he asked, with what Thomas thought, was a gleam in his eye. Quickly the Irishman felt a sense of possession well up in him. This was unlike the shipbuilder, and it surprised him. _I haven't known her but for a mere twenty-four hours...how can this be?_

Then he found the reason for it. It was Cal. Cal and all his billions, ready to flaunt himself and his money to every woman on the ship, except for those in steerage.

_If he takes one **look** at Rose, I'll... _with that, Thomas felt himself blush. Had he gone daft? _No, _he realized, _I've just fallen in love with the most fiery fair-skinned red-haired Irishwoman on board, and her name is..._

"Oh, Mr. Andrews!" Thomas felt his stomach sink to the soles of his shoes as he heard the disturbed voice of one of the _**worst**_ passengers to ever step aboard _Titanic_...

**The Ship Stern**

Jack Dawson looked up from his artists' tablet, where he'd been finishing a sketch of one little Irish girl playing with her little brother and a small leather ball.

He perked up his ears as he heard something out of the ordinary. Someone was crying?

Quickly, Jack nudged Fabrizzio, and the Italian opened his eyes groggily, mumbling about being woken up.

"Shh...quiet! you hear that?" Jack asked. Fabrizzio sat up and listened. "no..si si I do hear it...hear what?"

Jack rolled his eyes and stood up, walking toward the stern. The noise was getting louder. Then, all the way tucked underneath the ship he saw a girl.

Not just _any_ girl. This one was dressed in a maid's uniform, her shoes gone, and her knees pulled up to her chest. Jack looked at her closely.

This girl had fiery red hair and stunning blue eyes. Could this be..."Rose?" Jack asked.

The girl looked up. "Who are ye?" she asked. Jack smiled a little. "I'm Jack Dawson remember? ...I'm a friend of Mr. Andrews" At the mention of the man's name, Jack would have sworn he saw a blush come up on Rose's face.

"I see" she said quietly. "Did he send ye?" Jack looked confused. "No, I just heard someone crying and I just..."

Rose looked up at him defiantly, her brows stuck together in an aggravated line. "Ye just came over to lend a helpin' hand, is that it?"

Jack nodded. "Well, yeah"

"Well, I've got news for ye, boyo...I don't need help from _anybody_...not even you, especially after last night! Good day!" she scrambled up, grabbed her boots and left.

Jack heard laughter behind him. He turned around and saw Tommy Nelson trying not to laugh. Jack scowled at him.

"Well, boyo...I ne'er thought I'd see the day when the mighty Jack Dawson got rebuked! Especially by an Irish lass!" Tommy continued to laugh.

Jack rolled his eyes and cursed under his breath. he was struck with one thought. _Leave the Irish to their own. _

Then he was struck with a perfect idea! He'd heard Mrs. DeWitter tell Mr. Andrews that Rose's birthday was today! _That's it! That's how I'll..._

Jack cheered and jumped for joy. Grabbing both Fabrizzio with one arm and Tommy by the other, they all high-tailed it to the third-class deck.

So much to do, so little time!


	5. A Heart of Ice As Cold as the Ocean

Chapter 5: A Heart of Ice as Cold as the Ocean

**Disclaimer: cqofegypt does not own Titanic**

**Rose's Stateroom**

Rose Margaret DeWitter sat in her stateroom in front of the mirror. She was brushing out her hair, for dinner later this evening.

Being that it was only four o'clock, she didn't have to get dressed until a wee bit later. One of the ship's maids, Trudy, had been caring for her, and would help her prepare later on. (How ironic...a scullery maid helping a cabin girl ^_^)

Rose was still in her corset and petticoat, silently brushing her hair, and letting her mind dawdle on Mr. Andrews' kindness.

**Flashback**

They had been standing in his office this morning, when he had spoken gently to her about the previous evening, wondering why she had gone so much as to put herself in danger.

Rose had explained that she hadn't meant to, she thought she would be helping the ship-hands.

Andrews' mouth had turned upwards, and he'd shook his head. He'd said that Rose wouldn't have helped anyone if she had actually fallen overboard.

'I just don't want anything to happen to you... You are your mother's pride and joy, and I would feel terrible myself if...'

Andrews hadn't finished his statement, since Fifth Officer Harry Lowe, had come to let him know that the Captain would like to speak to him.

'We'll continue this conversation later, Rose...and meanwhile, consider being a little kinder to Jack...he's a friend of mine too, you know' he'd winked, smiled and left the room.

**End of Flashback**

Rose smiled to herself, making a mental note to apologize to Jack the next time she saw him.

Suddenly the door creaked open. Rose shrieked. There was a man at her door!

Who was he? What did he want? Why did he not knock?

"Wh-who are you?" the girl croaked.

The man smiled wickedly. Coming into the light she noticed he was tall, sort of handsome, with a snobbish air about him.

He had fair skin with jet black hair, and menacing green eyes. Rose's alarm bells in her head went off immediately.

Who was this man? What did he want with her? Though these questions were raving around in her head, Rose said nothing, only stared at him.

The man came closer to her, a sordid smirk on his face, as if he'd found what he was looking for...in fact, in his mind, he had.

"You're Rose DeWitter, are you not?" he asked, in a strangely sweet tone.

Rose's blue eyes narrowed at him. "Who wants to know?" she asked.

Caledon Hockley smiled to himself. Hmm, she was feistier than he'd expected.

"My name is Caledon Hockley...I am a friend of your mother's" he said smoothly.

"My mother knows nothing of you...if she did, she would have told me" Rose shot back.

Cal's green eyes gleamed. She was trying to outwit him...he looked down...and grinned evilly.

Rose glared at him, folding her arms across her chest. She'd like nothing more than to smack the daylights out of this monster.

Mr. Hockley's tone became strangely tender. "It has come to my attention that you have been uncharacteristically melancholy. I don't pretend to know why, but I presume it has something to do with your father."

Rose shot up out of the chair. "You know NOTHING about me or my family! Leave me alone!"

Cal ignored her outburst and continued to pursue her. "I can make all of your troubles disappear..." he said softly.

"All you have to do is be my wife." Rose's arm was an arrow's length away from punching him. If he didn't back up...

Cal took a black velvet box from behind his back, and handed it to her with a smirk. Rose took the box without a word.

Opening it, she noticed a big black rock, with what looked like diamonds surrounding it.

"I intended to give this to you after I gave you a ring, but unfortunately, I don't have one with me" he sneered.

Rose paid no attention to the monster before her...men like this could only want one thing... and he wasn't getting anything.

Lifting the stone carefully, Rose realized it was blue, not black. It looked like a sapphire, but...

"My goodness Mr. Hockley... is this what I think it is?"

Cal noticed she'd taken interest in the bait. "A diamond? Yes... fifty-six carats to be exact"

Taking the box from her, he lifted the necklace gently from the case and put it around her slender neck...

Rose sat down at the mirror again. Cal turned her shoulders to the mirror to see the necklace up close.

"This diamond is a shard of that which was worn by Louis the Sixteenth. It's called La Cour De La Mer-"

"The Heart of the Ocean" Rose answered. Her father had taught her about the history of lots of places, including France. Her favorite story had been the one about this diamond, and now she was wearing a piece of it.

_If only Dat could see me now!_ Rose thought, grinning to herself. Unfortunately for her though, this jewel came with a price... a very high price.

"This jewel is for royalty...and we are royalty, Rose" Cal said, purring in her ear.

He relished the feeling that he had done it. He'd seen how the past day or so this girl and that moronic shipbuilder had gazed at each other, and blushed like school-children. It was pathetic!

Cal's finger's caressed Rose's neck and throat. As he looked at the young woman in the mirror, he was caught off guard by her elegance and beauty.

Rose noticed this gesture of physical contact and gulped. She felt her skin crawl. No man but her husband was to touch her in that intimate way.

Seeing the glint in Mr. Hockley's eyes only furthured Rose's urgency to escape as far as she could from him.

Rose stood up to leave. She needed to call Trudy in to help her get ready.

As if sensing her thoughts, Cal placed his hands on her shoulders, pushing her to sit back down.

She stood up again. "Sit down, Rose" he said quietly. She remained standing as Cal paced about the room trying to contain his emotions, and plotting his next move.

"Blast it, I said sit down!" he roared.

Rose jumped and sat down quickly, looking down at the floor.

Cal knelt next to the chair, stroking her hand softly. Rose wanted nothing better than to raise that hand and smack him... but no, such a daring gesture would not please Mr. Andrews, or Mum for that matter.

Cal looked into her eyes. "There's nothing I couldn't give you. There's nothing that I would deny you if you would deny me. Open your heart to me Rose"

Giving her a mock look of sympathy, Cal kissed her hand and left the room. Motioning for his valet, Mr. Lovejoy, he said in a low voice. "She is not to come out of this room, and no one is to go in... is that clear?"

Spicer Lovejoy nodded his head, making a mental note to contact a certain friend. "I will keep watch over her," Lovejoy replied with a wry smile. Cal walked away in a huff.

Opening the door a crack, Lovejoy noticed the young woman will herself not to burst into tears. So far, she was doing brilliantly. Lovejoy admired her strength. _The strength of her father. _Lovejoy thought to himself.

Looking down the hall, he noticed the maid, Trudy coming toward the door. Lovejoy smiled at her and let her pass. Hockley had said nothing about the maid not entering.

Lovejoy continued down the hall to a certain office. He wondered if the man he was searching for was preoccupied...


	6. You've Got a Friend in Me

Disclaimer: cqofegypt does not own Titanic

Chapter 6: You've Got a Friend in Me

**Second Aft Deck**

Rose kept a hand on her cloak, trying to keep it closed. It didn't matter as much about being in her scullory dress, as much as it mattered about her identity being kept a secret.

No one could see her...no one could know, except Jack.

She finally caught sight of him, sitting next to his friends on one of the benches. Suddenly somebody caught her eye, and motioned for Jack to turn around.

Jack caught sight of Rose and blanched. She wasn't supposed to come down here yet! If Tommy had squealed...

Jack walked up to her and realized that she didn't seem to know where she was. He breathed a sigh of relief. She didn't know.

Walking up to her he smiled. "Well...did somebody send you down here to fetch a pail of water?" he grinned.

Rose chose to ignore the remark. "No, I came to look for ye actually...I need to speak with you...upstairs" Jack looked back at the others.

Tommy raised his fists in the air. 'go get 'er' Jack rolled his eyes. Tommy was an idiot sometimes.

**Poop-Deck**

As they got to the poop deck, Rose seemed to be struggling for composure. Jack waited patiently for her to say something.

"Jack I feel like such a dummy... It took me all afternoon to get the courage to come and find you..."

Jack smirked. Why did he have the feeling that Mr. Andrews had sent her to apologize for her recent behaviour?

"Well, here I am" he said. "Aye, here you are" Rose smiled slightly. There was a lull in the conversation before she spoke again.

"I-I wanted to thank you. Not just for calming me down, but for saving me as well."

Jack looked dubious. "Well, I was just a bystander. Mr. Andrews is the one who really saved your neck."

At the mention of Mr. Andrews, Rose's cheeks turned bright red.

Jack saw this and smirked. _Whoa... those two've really got it bad! _he thought, looking at Rose's face.

Jack was disruppted out of his thoughts by a warm wet feeling on his cheek. Rose had kissed him... just a quick peck on the cheek, as a sister would give a brother.

Nevertheless, Jack blushed.

"Thanks, Jack" Rose smiled at him genuinely.

Blushing harder, Jack coughed. "Oh, uh...y-you're welcome, Rose"

There was another lull in the conversation before Rose spoke again.

"Jack, I know what you must be thinking... poor little Irish girl...what does she know about life in the real world?"

Jack looked at her, taking pity on her.

"That's not what I was thinking. What I was thinking was, what could have happened to make this girl feel as though she needed to take on a man's responsibility."

"It wasn't me persay, it was them...Mr. Hockley, and Gabriella Macy...She treats me like a slave, and he...well..."

Rose shook her head.

"Ya know, he came to my room earlier Jack...he wants me to marry 'im. I'm scared of 'im"

Rose shook her fist in the air. "As for Gabriella, well...I'll show them both... they'll be sorry!"

Jack smiled. "Uh huh, sure they'll be sorry...course, you'll be locked up in the brig, sick to your stomach from that pail of dirty water."

Rose lowered her head in shame. "Oh, that... well, Mr. Andrews and I talked about that... I'm not supposed to do that anymore."

Jack decided to change the subject. "That guy last night...what's the deal with him?"

Rose cocked her head confused. "Guy? Oh! Mr. Lovejoy... he's a friend of Mr. Andrews and Mr. Ismay" she said quietly, thinking of the mysterious stranger who'd led her gently away from Mr. Hockley last night.

Jack was curious. "Is he your boyfriend?"

Rose giggled, which threw Jack off a little. What had he said? Rose shook her head. "No...I don't know him." she blushed.

"Not like I know Mr. ..." Jack smiled. "Mr. Andrews?" he prodded. Slowly, heisitantly, Rose nodded her head.

Jack smirked. "You're blushing as red as your hair, you know" They both laughed.

A passing steward glared at them, since they weren't first class passengers, but Rose glared at him anyway.

"So this Hockley guy, you feel like your a sitting duck just waiting to see what he'll do?"

Rose nodded. "Exactly!"

Jack shrugged. "So stay away from him"

"It's not that easy..." Rose said, looking down at her hands. "Wherever I go, he'll find me"

Jack rolled his eyes. "It _is _that easy...just tell Mr. Andrews that the guy won't leave you alone"

Rose nodded quietly, then nodded to Jack's sketchbook. "Can I see that?" she asked.

Jack offered it to her. Since they were sitting down, Rose easily flipped through the pages.

"Jack, these are very good! Really, they are." She smiled at the one with the little boy and girl playing with a ball.

Jack shrugged. "Well, they didn't think too much of 'em in Paree."

Some loose sketches fell out, stolen by the wind. Jack scrambled after them... catching two, but the rest were gone, over the rail.

Rose looked horrified, shutting the book quickly. "Oh no! Oh, I'm so sorry! Really, I am!"

Jack shook his head. "Well, like I said, they didn't think too much of 'em in Paree."

He flicked his wrist, shaking his drawing hand in a frenzy.

The young artist grinned. "I just seem to spew 'em out. Besides, they're not worth a dime anyway...I can always draw more"

For emphasis he threw away the two he caught. They sailed off.

Rose laughed. "You're screwy in the head!"

She turned her attention back to the book, turning a page. It was blank...as well as the rest of the pages.

Rose looked up at him from the book. "You have a gift, Jack. You do. You see people.

Jack took the chance and stared at her again...perhaps too long this time.

Rose blushed

"I see you." Jack said.

"And...?" she asked.

"You wouldn'ta dumped that junk on me." he grinned. They laughed.

Rose and Jack strolled the aft, past people lounging on deck chairs in the slanting late-afternoon light. Stewards scurried to serve tea or hot cocoa.

Rose giggled, girlishly and excitedly.

"You know, my dream has always been to become an artist... living in a garret back in Ireland, poor as I am now, and free!"

Jack laughed. "You wouldn't last two days."

Rose snapped at him mad as a hornet. "Listen, buster... I'm tired of people dismissing my dreams with a chuckle and a pat on the head!"

Jack winced. "I'm sorry. Really... I am."

Rose sighed.

"It's alright. There's something in me, Jack. I feel it. I don't know what it is, whether I should be an artist, or, I don't know... a dancer. Like Isadora Duncan... or a moving picture actress!

She takes his hand and ran, pulling him along the deck toward Daniel and Mary Marvin. Daniel was cranking the big wooden movie camera as she posed stiffly at the rail.

Marvin was getting exasperated. "You're supposed to be sad! Sad, sad, sad. You've left your lover on the shore. You may never see him agian. Try to be sadder, darling."

Suddenly, Rose zoomed into the shot and stroked a theatrical pose at the rail next to Mary. Mary burst out laughing. Rose pulled Jack into the picture and made him pose.

Marvin grinned and started yelling and gesturing.

Rose posed tragically at the rail, the back of her hand to her forehead.

Jack sat on a deck chair, pretending to be a Pasha, the two girls pantomiming fanning him like slave girls.

Jack, on his knees, pleading with his hands clasped while Rose, standing, turned her head in bored disdain.

Rose cranked the camera, while Daniel and Jack have a western shoot-out. Jack won and leered into the lens, twirling an air mustache like Snidely Whiplash.

Later, as the sun set, Rose wished she had the time...she had to make sure that she'd get dressed on time. She and Jack were on the A-deck rail aft, shoulder to shoulder. The ship's lights came on.

It was a magical moment...just perfect. If only...

Jack saw the look on Rose's face and his spirits dropped a little. She'd never see him more than a traveling companion...and why should she? She was beautiful, with fire in her soul.

But she was in love with another man...

Rose looked out at the dusky sky. "Why can't I be like you Jack? Just head out for the horizon whenever I feel like it?"

She turned to him.

He told her about going to San Monica, and Los Angeles, going on a roller coaster, and down to the peir.

Rose sighed. "Say we'll go there, sometime... to that pier... even if we only ever just talk about it."

Jack nodded in finality. "Alright, we're going. We'll drink cheap beer and go on the rollercoaster until we throw up and we'll ride horses on the beach... right in the surf... but you have to ride like a cowboy, none of that side-saddle stuff."

Rose raised an eyebrow. Living in Ireland, she'd always ridden sidesaddle. "You mean one leg on each side?"

Jack nodded. "Sure. I'll show you if you like."

Rose smiled at him. "I think I would."

Rose looked out at the sea again. "And teach me to spit too. Like a man. Why should only men be able to spit. It's unfair."

The girl giggled. "I need some kind of defense against certain people." she winked.

Jack laughed. "Here, it's easy. Watch closely."

He spat. It arcs out over the water

Jack looked at her. "Your turn."

Rose screwed up her mouth and spit. A pathetic little bit of foamy spittle which mostly ran down her chin before falling off into the water.

Jack snickered. "Nope, that was pitiful. Here, like this..."

She went through the steps. Hawks it down, etc. Jack coaches her through it while doing the steps himself.

She let it fly. So did he. Two comets of gob flew out over the water.

Jack grinned. "That was great!"

Rose turned to him, her face alight. Suddenly she blanched. He saw her expression and turns.

Ruth, the Countess of Rothes, and Molly Brown had been watching them hawking lugees. Rose became instantly composed.

"Mum, may I introduce Jack Dawson." Rose's heart was pounding. She was definitely gonna get it later on.

Ruth was trying not to laugh. "Charmed, I'm sure." In truth, she was thankful. She had seen the way these two interacted. Rose had never had any siblings of her own. She'd grown up without a brother, and a father to show her the 'important' things.

Ruth had also heard from Mr. Andrews about Jack's heroic attempt at saving Rose's life last evening.

Jack had a little spit running down his chin. Looking down, Ruth tried not to laugh outright. This man Mr. Dawson may not be orthodox, but he did have a sense of humor.

They all jumped as a bugler sounded the meal call right behind them.

Molly Brown frowned. "Why do they insist on always announcing dinner like a cavalry charge?"

Looking out at the sun sinking lower into the sky, Rose approached her mother. "Shall we go dress, mum?"

Ruth nodded. Rose grinned over her shoulder at Jack. "See you later, Jack"

Jack grinned. He'd cheered her up. Now to get on with the plan!


	7. A Birthday Surprise or Disaster?

-1Chapter 7: A Birthday Surprise...or Disaster?

**Thomas Andrews' Office**

"Are ye sure about this, Jack?" Thomas asked. "I haven't tapped in years" Jack scoffed. "Aw, come on, Mr. Andrews! Of course you can dance! What natural born Irishman can't tap dance?"

Thomas sighed. Jack was right. "Tell me again what the plan is" he said with a wry smile. _Yes! _Jack thought. Jack told him the plan again, and Thomas nodded. "Alright, if you say so, but" Jack wagged his finger at Thomas. "Ah ah ah...no backing out now...if you won't do it for yourself, me or 'brizzi...do it for _Rose_"

Jack grinned mischeviously as the familiar blush came up on Thomas' cheeks.

"Is it me, or is it rather warm in here?" the Irishman asked, pulling at his collar and tie.

"It's you" Jack grinned impishly. "Come on, 'Brizzi...we gotta get ready" Fabrizzio nodded. "Good luck!" he grinned before following Jack out the office.

Thomas folded his hands on his elbows and looked at the blueprints on his desk, his wine glass as a holder.

It would be nice to get away for a bit...and it would be extra special to him to be able to spend a little time with Rose, to see her enjoy her birthday, and maybe to get to know her a wee bit better.

Thomas sighed for the fiftieth time in that hour, then walked back to his stateroom to 'change clothes'.

Being an artist as one of his hidden talents, he occasionally got a lead smudge or a paint smear on his shirts...he wore one of those under his fine dress shirt and vest. He'd change later, before going down to the 'party'.

Looking at his pocket watch, he noticed it was almost six.

_Jack...this better be worth it, because if it isn't...boyo, prepare for a swim in the icy Atlantic!_

With that, Thomas grabbed his overcoat and headed to the dining hall for dinner.

**Rose's Stateroom**

"Are ye sure yer all right, darlin'?" Ruth asked, patting her daughter's hand. Rose had been thinking about Mr. Hockley again, while fingering the precious jewel.

She'd been terribly melancholy over the past couple of hours, and Ruth was getting concerned.

Rose smiled, halfheartedly. "I'm alright, Mum" she said, stepping away from her jewelry box.

Ruth clucked her tongue and went to her stateroom. Rose looked after her, confused.

Ruth came back a minute later. "I'd been wantin' to give this to ye all day, but with both of us workin' so much today, and my goin' to lunch with Tom, well, I never got the chance." Rose smiled. "Did ye like it? Were the people friendly?" Ruth smiled. "Aye, I loved it. I met some interesting people, ye'll meet them soon enough."

Rose could have sworn she saw a slight blush on her mother's cheeks. (A/N: Hmmm)

"But anyhow, I wanted to give ye this...it belonged to yer Grandma DeWitter...yer dad's mum" Ruth gently, carefully undid the ancient peice of velvet that held the precious ornament.

Rose gasped. It was a comb. A comb in the shape of a dragonfly. It was light green, with a gold border. "Oh, Mother, it's beautiful!" Rose gasped.

Ruth smiled. "I thought ye'd might like to wear it tonight at dinner, seein' this will be a special occasion."

Rose giggled a little, and felt a heartwarming sense of pride as she was given an heirloom from her Irish grandmother.

"Who gave it to her?" Rose asked. Ruth smiled. "Yer Granddad. He gave it to her as a wedding present" Rose gasped.

(A/N: Aww! I don't think that's the origin of that comb, but I think this one is sweet!)

Ruth stood back and looked at her girl. Despite the dark princess chiffon dress she was wearing, donated by the vivacious Molly Brown, the new comb looked exquisite in Rose's hair, aside from her other hair barettes, keeping her rather thick hair in a bun.

Rose smiled and hugged her mother. "Thank ye so much, Mum...ye truly have made this a special day" Ruth smiled, wiping happy tears from her eyes. "Now, then...let's get a move on, shall we?'

**Molly Brown's Stateroom**

Men's suits and jackets and formal wear are strewn all over the place. Molly is having a fine time. Jack is dressed, except for his jacket, and Molly is tying his bow tie.

Jack, for his efforts at saving Rose, had been invited by Mr. Andrews and Molly Brown to dinner that evening.

At the moment, Jack felt slightly embarrassed that he couldn't remember how to tie a bow tie.

Molly grinned. "Don't feel bad about it. My husband still can't tie one of these things after 20 years. There you go."

"Thanks" Jack murmered.

Molly picked a jacket off the bed and handed it to him. Jack went into the bathroom to put it on. Molly started picking up the stuff off the bed.

After a minute, Jack came out of the restroom, the jacket buttoned, his collar in place, and his shoes shined. His hair was combed slick back.

Molly raised an eyebrow. "My, my, my... you shine up like a new penny."

Jack smiled politely and offered her his arm. This was going to be a long night.

**The Grand Staircase**

Rose took a deep breath as she walked down the stairs, one by one. She hoped not to see Gabriella or Mr. Hockley.

The 'gift' she'd been given was safely hidden in her beuruar drawer...for now.

Mr. Andrews came from one of the doors to the side, beneath the Grand Staircase. He'd just been alerted by a 'friend' that Caledon Hockley had been menacing a certain 'passenger'. Andrews' friend had not mentioned the name of the passenger, but Andrews felt he knew who that passenger was.

Turning his head, his next breath caught in his throat. _Rose!_

She was a stunning vision, in a gown fit for a princess. Slowly, she descended the stairs.

Rose noticed Mr. Andrews at the foot of the stairs in a gallent dinner tuxedo, with a strange expression on his face. She smiled cordially and descended the rest of the stairs.

Stepping up to him, she curtsied.

He smiled and returned her gesture with a formal English bow.

"My dear Ms. DeWitter...would you do me the honor of allowing me to escort you to the dining hall?" Andrews asked.

Rose blushed slightly, her eyes downcast. Mr. Andrews grew concerned and lifted her gaze to him.

"If ye wish" she whispered. Andrews looked at her curiously. "Whatever do you mean, Rose?" Just as Rose looked up at him, Gabriella Macy stormed up to them.

"Why you little bint! I thought I told you not to come near-" she caught Mr. Andrews' eye and laughed flirtatiously, grabbing his other arm.

Rose blushed scarlet and looked down at the floor. Andrews glared at Gabriella with all the Irish fire he possessed!

"I beg your pardon, madam, but if you will excuse us, I am going to excort Ms. DeWitter." Gabriella yanked his arm. "NO!" she yelled.

Thomas Andrews rolled his eyes.

"Tá sí chomh tiubh is aoileach ach leath amháin mar atá úsáideach" **She's as thick as manure, but only half as useful**

The Irishman muttered in Rose's ear. Rose bit her tongue to prevent bursting into laughter. "Mr. Andrews!" she gasped.

Andrews winked at Rose and grinned devilishly.

"Féadfaidh tú leaghadh as an domhain, sneachta as an chlaí." **May you fall off the earth like snow off the ditch **

Andrews smiled at Gabriella as he and Rose walked away. Rose shut her eyes to keep from thinking about roaring in laughter.

Mr. Andrews had told Gabriella the two worst insults in all of Ireland, and she hadn't even understood them. They reached the banquet hall together, Mr. Andrews pointing out many influential people to Rose as she looked around.

She turned to him with a smile. "Mr. Andrews, truly you didn't have to insult Ms. Macy for my sake...I would have.." she was stopped by Thomas' finger on her lips.

"There_ was _need, Rose. Besides your mother and Jack, you are the only friend I have on the Titanic." she looked at him confused. "But surely..." he smiled.

"They are business partners... though Captain Smith is sort of a father to me" Rose nodded, and they continued to the table, arm-in-arm.

Rose caught her mother's eye, and Ruth beamed. She was standing next to a man Mr. Andrews identified as Bruce Ismay. They smiled at each other, and Mr. Ismay pulled out Ruth's chair.

Rose saw the same tint of pink on Ruth's face as earlier. Rose tried not to giggle. She wondered what it would be like to have a father again, after so many years. Usually widows waited at least two years before getting married again, but Ruth saw no need, and Rose presumed that she had been satisfied with the life they shared together, just the two of them.

"Ye won't be around forever, Rose" her mother had remarked to her one day when they were living in Ireland. "Someday ye'll get married, and I'll just be waitin' for the day when yer own wee ones come...that way I can spoil 'em rotten!"

They had laughed, but Rose continued to wonder whether or not her mother was lonely. Surely her father would have wanted Ruth to marry happily after he was gone, but not to have waited ten years!

Rose snapped to attention when Mr. Andrews pulled out a seat for her, then sat down himself in the seat next to hers.

Rose had a smile on her face as she looked around at the surroundings. They were marvelous! She looked over and noticed Mr. Andrews writing something in a small black book.

"Mr. Andrews?" Thomas jumped, and the letter 'e' he'd been writing slipped. It didn't matter though...he shouldn't have been writing anyway. However, looking around at the chandeliers, he'd noticed that two seemed loose, and one of the crystals from one of them had broken off. Shame.

Thomas turned to Rose with a smile. "Yes?" he asked. Rose blushed and smiled awkwardly. "I-I'm sorry...I didn't know you were busy writing something" Thomas chuckled. "It's alright...dont' worry about it" Rose nodded. "I just wanted to tell you..." she'd been working on her English, "_Titanic_ is a wonder...you should be proud of the work you've accomplished." she smiled.

Thomas blushed and smiled. "Thank you, Rose" Cal Hockley looked over at the couple, intrigued by this conversation between Andrews and the ravishing beauty he'd 'met' earlier. _Hmmm.. _Cal thought wryly. He looked her over again, and liked what he saw. Andrews was too busy in his conversation with the girl that he didn't notice.

Or didn't he?

"Mr. Hockley, I should like to introduce you to Ms. Rose DeWitter. She and her mother Ruth are friends of mine" Cal was caught off guard by Andrews' statement, the Irishman was looking at him with the same look from earlier. Pure disdain, or was it jealousy?

_Just you wait, Andrews... I'll snatch her from you so fast you won't have time to even blink!_ Cal thought. Meanwhile though, he would bide his time. He stood up and made his way toward Rose.

"An honor, ma chère" he kissed her hand, a devilish twinkle in his eye. He stood up and noticed Andrews was gripping his napkin so tightly that his knuckles turned white. If disturbed, _Titanic_ would be with one less napkin.

Rose looked between the two men, first at Mr. Andrews, and then at Mr. Hockley, the man she'd met earlier. He was smiling at her in a way that Rose could feel her skin crawl.

She gulped ever so slightly.

Andrews cleared his throat. What he'd like to say to Hockley was not appropriate for young ladies such as Rose, to hear.

Andrews glared at Cal, hoping he'd get the message. Eventually the brute did, and returned to his seat, not once taking

his eyes off the girl.

Mmmm so young and fresh… Perhaps her mother could use some... _persuasion_? Cal laughed wickedly under his breath. _I know what I want…and I __**always**_ _get what I want…_

Andrews could_ feel _Cal's thoughts. He looked at the man. Evil. Pure evil, and he was directing these thoughts toward Rose.

_I'll… **Thou shalt not murder, beloved**_Thomas Andrews heard a voice whisper. Andrews closed his eyes and prayed silently for deliverance from these malicious thoughts he was directing toward Hockley. He also prayed for protection for Rose.

Opening his eyes, Mr. Andrews took a deep breath and leaned toward Rose's ear.

"I want you to stay away from him" he whispered. "He's very dangerous" Rose nodded nervously at him, fear in her eyes. _You have no idea _she thought.

Andrews looked at her with a reassuring smile.

"I assure you, Rose…no harm will come to you" he said quietly. Gently, the young man grasped the girl's hand and kissed it. Cal noticed this little scene and gave Andrews a dirty look.

_You'll pay for that, Andrews…by God you'll pay!_

Mr. Andrews took a small scoop of dessert and noticed Cal seething at him. Despite himself, Andrews smiled cheekily. He had the upper hand, and Cal knew it.

As Rose was paying attention to the other dinner guests, and enjoying her mother interact with Mr. Ismay, Mr. Andrews looked over to the door. The person standing there, nodded; that was the signal.

The shipbuilder stood up unnoticed, and walked to the door. Slipping something into the stranger's pocket, Andrews walked on to one of the restrooms to change.

Meanwhile, the stranger who was in reality Jack Dawson, calmly and casually walked over to the table with his head high, trying to look as if he weren't looking for Rose. He finally found her. Molly Brown looked up at him surprised. Jack shook his head and motioned toward Rose. Molly grinned, nodded and asked Ruth another question about Ireland, on the one hand because she was interested, and two, acting as a diversion for Jack.

"Ms. DeWitter?" Rose turned and looked up. It was Jack!

"Yes?" she asked politely, though wondering why on God's good green earth he was doing here, and not sitting down to dinner.

Jack noticed her attempt at calmmess and smirked. Pure Irish. Stubborn as the day was long.

"Breithlá sona" he said, stumbling a little as he kissed her hand. Rose felt him force something in her hand. He left and she looked into her hand. How did he of all people know today was her birthday? And where on Earth had he learned to say that phrase? Rose opened the paper in her hands.

**Mearbhall? Buail liom ag an chloig sa deich nóiméad**

**(Confused? Meet me at the clock in ten minutes)**

Rose smiled confused at the note. Who had sent it? Michael O'Rielly? Sam McGregor? No, they weren't allowed up here.

_Then what am I doing here?_ Rose thought to herself. Suddenly she noticed that the seat on her left was vacant. Where was Mr. Andrews?

Rose looked at the note again, being careful not to let anyone see it.

"Stone silent I see" Rose jumped at hearing the voice of the dangerous Mr. Hockley. He regarded her with a small smile, a faint glimmer of something in his eye that Rose couldn't place. Suddenly she felt disturbed, but what was bothering her? She had felt fine just a minute ago.

"Excuse me" she murmured, getting up. She looked over at her mother. Ruth caught Rose's eye and looked at her curiously. Rose showed her a tip of the paper and motioned toward the door leading to the foyer…to the clock.

Ruth suddenly blushed and smiled, nodding. Rose smiled. She was free to go.

She suddenly walked over to Mr. Ismay and waited patiently for him to stop speaking. He turned to her curiously, and she curtsied elegantly.

"It's an honor to meet you, Mr. Ismay" she said with a smile. "I've heard so many wonderful things about you"

Ismay's grin broadened. Who was this charming young woman?

He looked over at Mrs. DeWitter and noticed her blush. Looking back at Rose, he noticed the family resemblance.

_This must be her daughter_. Ismay thought._ What a charming child! _"The honor is mine, mademoiselle" he smiled grabbing her hand and kissed it, patting it gently. Rose blushed. She could see why her mother had a fancy for this man.

After a minute Rose politely excused herself and walked to the staircase.

The Grand Staircase

When Rose reached the staircase, she noticed there was a man standing there at the top.

Rose was almost to the top when the man turned around. He smiled at her. Rose gasped.

"Good evening, Rose…"

"Mr. Andrews!" Rose gasped, putting a hand to her mouth. The shipbuilder smiled at her.

"Yes, Rose, It was I who sent you that note, thanks to Mr. Dawson"

Rose blushed. "Jack?" she asked. "You got it" said a voice behind her.

The girl gasped and turned around to see Jack Dawson standing behind her, grinning from ear to ear.

Rose looked at Mr. Andrews who was also grinning now.

"But how-" Jack laughed. Andrews chuckled. "It was Jack who set up this whole thing... for your birthday"

Rose looked at Jack in surprise. "Is that why your friends looked surprised at me being down there earlier?" Jack nodded.

"It's supposed to be a surprise party, but..." Andrews grinned. "Well, it's still a surprise...she really hasn't seen anything yet" Jack nodded and grinned. Mr. Andrews was one smart cookie.

"Now then, Rose... we have a surprise for you, but first you're going to have to be blindfolded."

Rose crossed her arms and frowned. Andrews smiled at the young lady, so fair and full of fire.

"Yeah, and hey... don't forget her shoes." Andrews nodded. He quickly helped Rose change from her dinner shoes into some custom-made Irish tap shoes. Rose giggled as she tapped her foot a couple of times.

Andrews chuckled. He was beginning to think that Jack's plan wasn't so bad after all. As Rose tried to take a step down the stairs, Andrews' heart gave a sickening lurch.

"Uh, Rose..." gently the man placed his arm around the girl's waist, reached down, and scooped her up into his arms effortlessly.

Jack raised an eyebrow. Rose yelped in delight.

"Mr. Andrews?" she asked breathlessly, running her hand through his dark brown hair, then down the side of his face.

Rose couldn't see, but Jack smirked. The girl was obviously having an impact on Andrews.

"Yes, Rose" Andrews said quietly. "I have you"

Rose smiled then, placing her arms around his neck.

"Hey, lovebirds! You two coming or what?" Jack grinned over his shoulder at the two. Andrews silently glared at Jack while Rose blushed in his arms.

_If I'm not mistaken, Jack, you were the one who thought up this whole shinanigan!_ the man thought, keeping a firm hold of the lovely lass in his arms.

As they reached the bottom of the stairs, Rose smiled a little. and addressed Mr. Andrews.

"It's alright," she said, holding his neck a little tighter. "You can put me down, now"

As much as Andrews wanted to protest, he agreed, and set her down on her feet. It wasn't appropriate for a man to carry a woman in that manner, unless they were married.

_That could be arranged if she'd have me _Andrews thought.

But then he thought about it from a social point of view. What would Bruce have to say about it, or worse, what would Ruth think?

Andrews tried not to think about it, but he could hear the whisperes from the first class.

"What a scandal!" or "Mr. Andrews marry a scullory maid?...an outrage!"

Andrews shook his head furiously. He and Rose were _Irish_, not the constantly gossiping stuck up variations of the first class.

Leading Rose to the second flight of stairs leading to the gathering, Andrews gently took her hand. "Can you make it down by yourself?" he asked.

Rose took a step down, and shook her head.

(A/N: That's probably because she enjoyed being in his arms! ^_^)

Andrews gladly picked the girl back up again, smiling to himself. This was going to be an interesting night!

**Rose's Birthday Celebration Third Class Deck-General Room**

Crow led and alive with music, laughter and raucous carrying on. An ad hoc band is gathered near the upright piano, honking out lively stomping music on fiddle, accoridon and tambourine.

When Rose, Andrews and Jack enter the room everyone stops to look at the lovely lady, whos birthday their celebrating.

"Ok now!" Rose heard Jack say. A quick flip of the cloth, and Rose's eyes opened to the largely filled room of people.

"Breithlá sona!" they yelled. Rose squealed in delight. "Happy Birthday!" Rose laughed in delight. She really hadn't expected for anyone, not even these kind souls to know it was her birthday!

"Thank you everyone!" she said, heathily flushed. The best part of all was when the music started and everyone started dancing.

Despite the fact he had the chance to dance with many beautiful young lassies, Mr. Andrews stayed right next to her, grinning just as happy as a man culd be.

As a rather quick song started up, Jack rushed to Rose, grabbing her hand. Rose turned to Mr. Andrews and he smiled, nodding his head.

Rose looked back at Andrews nervously. "I don't know about this..."

Jack smiled. "Come on, it'll be fine, I promise"  
The music started and they were off. A little awkward at first, she started to get into it. She grinned at Jack as she started to remember the rhythm of the steps.

As they get faster, Andrews looks on with interest, but soon his face grew concerned. Rose was starting to look a little pale.

Rose blanched. "Wait... stop!"

Jack kept dancing. A few more spins then...yelch!

The music stopped short. No one knew what happened. No one knew what to do.

"I'm sorry...I'm so sorry" Rose whispered. Mr. Andrews leaped into action. Grabbing Rose by the shoulder, he told her to sit down. Grabbing Jack by the arm, he reached into his mála beag and grabbed a fresh shirt, just in case.

"Go" he whispered quietly. "I'll take care of Rose" Jack nodded and stalked off.

"Gach ceart gach duine ... Is féidir tú a choinneáil ag dul"/**"All right everyone...you can keep going" **

Andrews sat down next to Rose as the music continued. "It's all my fault" she whispered. Andrews shook his head. "Don't ever think that, lass...You tried to tell Jack to stop and he didn't listen...that's the price he has to pay...besides...I think it still had that hint of dog odor"

Rose giggled a little as Andrews chuckled. "Thank ye" she said quietly. Andrews nodded.

"Anytime" he smiled, rubbing his thumb over her fingers. Rose blushed.

"Tell me about your home in Ireland" he said suddenly. Rose looked at him surprised.

"Really?" Mr. Andrews nodded.

"Oh, and by the way...no more of this calling me Mr. Andrews, as ye so politely put it. That name rightfully belongs to my father. From now on, you'll call me Thomas...Aye?"

Rose grinned. "Aye!" she said eagerly.

Jack got back from changing his shirt. He still couldn't believe Rose puked on him! he'd had to get rid of the shirt.

The one he had now was too big...it made him feel like a pirate.

Jack looked around for Fabrizzio. He found her dancing with a pretty Norweigen girl named Helga. Dancing had obscured the need for a common language. He whirled her, then she responded by whirling him... Fabrizio's eyes got wide when he realized she was stronger than he is.

They moved to a table, flushed and sweaty. Fabrizio was grinning, holding hands with Helga.

"How you two doin'?" Jack asked.

Fabrizzio grinned at his new-found innamorato. "I don't know what she's say, she don't know what I say, so we get along fine."

Fabrizzio was trying to catch his breath. Jack smiled and looked over at Rose and Andrews.

Rose was talking to Thomas about the farm she lived on as a little girl. She told him about the time when she'd lassood a boar by its horns by mistake, and how it ended up causing her horse to hurl her in the hay.

Thomas slapped his knee laughing. Jack wandered over, wondering what was so funny.

"What happened then?" he asked. Rose grinned. "Dat was laughing when I told him, and Mum took the strap to me."

Thomas winced. "Couldn't sit for a week." Jack winced. Rose smiled, her cheeks healthily flushed. "Ne'er did it again though!"

Rose was grinning now, though the memory of her father still felt like a fresh wound.

Tommy walked over with a pint for each of them. Rose looked at the beer unsure of herself. A nod from Thomas was all she needed. She took a sip. It actually tasted sweet. Suddenly, Rose chugged her pint, showing off.

Thomas and Jack laughed, congratulating her.

Sean O'Malley came over just then, addressing Thomas.

"So, Tom...I hear yer the greatest tapper of us all." Andrews blushed modestly. "Well, I-er..."

Somebody else spoke up. "Aye...a lass told me ye can toot too." the others laughed.

Thomas' ears burned. He could sing, but him sing for someone other than Rose...

"Hey, Tommy boy, why don't ye show off fer yer perty friend there?"

Now it was Rose's turn to blush. Thomas looked at her and smiled. He nodded to himself. He knew exactly what song to sing.

(A/N: I've done research on Youtube, and yes Victor Garber can sing :) )

Disclaimer: I do not own the lyrics to My Wild Irish Rose!

**My Wild Irish Rose**

**If you listen I'll sing you a sweet little song**

**Of a flower that's now droped and dead,**

**Yet dearer to me, yes than all of its mates,**

**Though each holds aloft its proud head.**

**Twas given to me by a girl that I know,**

**Since we've met, faith I've known no repose.**

**She is dearer by far than the world's brightest star,**

**And I call her my wild Irish Rose.**

The lads cheered. Rose blushed immensely. This was an Irish love song. Why would Thomas sing it, unless...

Michael started the music as Thomas continued singing.

**My wild Irish Rose, the sweetest flower that grows.**

**You may search everywhere, but none can compare with my wild Irish Rose.**

**My wild Irish Rose, the dearest flower that grows,**

**And some day for my sake, she may let me take the bloom from my wild Irish Rose.**

**They may sing of their roses, which by other names,**

**Would smell just as sweetly, they say.**

**But I know that my Rose would never consent**

**To have that sweet name taken away.**

**Her glances are shy when e'er I pass by**

**The bower where my true love grows,**

**And my one wish has been that some day I may win**

**The heart of my wild Irish Rose.**

**My wild Irish Rose, the sweetest flower that grows.**

**You may search everywhere, but none can compare with my wild Irish Rose.**

**My wild Irish Rose, the dearest flower that grows,**

**And some day for my sake, she may let me take the bloom from my wild Irish Rose.**

As Thomas finished the last few notes, Tommy, Jack and Fabrizzio jumped in with the harmony. Rose blushed as red as her hair as Thomas knelt on one knee, and kissed her hand. Jack and the others cheered.

After a bit of food and ale, everyone started dancing again.

Bjorn Gunderson was roughhousing with a few of his mates, when he crashed into Tommy Nelson with no signs of apology.

In reaction, Tommy accidentally spilled his ale all over Rose's dress. Rose cried out in surprise, then giggled.

Thomas looked at her in concern, then jumped up, ready to defend her honor.

Tommy looked at Rose in apologetic horror, then grabbed Bjorn by the collar, ready to punch him in the nose.

Thomas went over to Toomy, trying to get him to let go of Bjorn. Struggling against Thomas, Tommy cursed.

"Ye stupid oaf! Ye made me spill me ail all over the lass! Now yer gonna get it!"

Thomas put a hand on each man's shoulder.

"Now, gents… let's not get too rowdy." Unfortunately, looking at both hot-headed Irishmen, it was obvious that this tactic wasn't working.

Tommy stood there, still spitting mad, chest out high.

Trying to keep his composure, he ended up laughing, clapping Bjorn's back.

Rose, smiling, stood up next to Thomas.

"So, ye think yer big, tough men, do ye? Well, then lets see ye do this! Thomas, if ye'll hold this for me please?"

Thomas did as she asked, holding a corner of her dress, looking at her rather curiously.

In stockinged feet, Rose positioned herself into point, putting her entire body mass on her toes.

The men, including Andrews' mouths went wide at the sight of her painstakingly incredible muscle control.

Rose leveled down, tripping and holding her foot.

"Oy, ow! Gracious me! I haven't done that in years!"

Thomas caught her when she fell; everyone else laughed aloud.

Jack and Tommy started laughing and cheering, starting off a wave of applause.

Rose blushed slightly, and curtsied.

Spicer Lovejoy opened the welldeck door, and walked down a couple of steps, unseen.

Seeing Thomas Andrews holding Rose DeWitter, while both were laughing, made Lovejoy smile slightly to himself.

He exited the way he came…unseen and unknown.

_Finally_! He thought, going in search of Caledon Hockley.

When everyone continued to dance, Jack nudged Thomas in the ribs, motioning toward Rose, who was making small talk with Helga.

Thomas cleared his throat and approached the girl, hands sweaty, and mouth dry.

"Rose, may I have this next dance?" he asked, more confidenly then he had anticipated.

Rose looked up at Mr. Andrews' shy, pleading, face and eagerly nodded her head.

(A/N: This is that waltz…the one where Jack and Rose get REAL close. ^_^ )

As the music started for the next dance, Rose looked up at Mr. Andrews nervously.

"Thomas, I think it's only fair to tell ye... I don't know this dance." Thomas smiled down at her.

"You're not the only one, my girl... I don't know it either. Just move with me and we'll be alright" Rose giggled as he brought her close to him (REAL close ;) )

Soon enough the dance got even faster. Rose screamed and giggled in delight as the two whirled around.

Rose put her shoes back on when they stopped, then they had a tap dace battle to see who could tap the fastest. Rose won by a landslide.

Just as she was about to collapse in exhaustion, she felt two strong arms about her waist, keeping her upright.

Upward she looked into the heavenly brown, smiling eyes of Thomas Andrews, panting and protruding a sweet odor of sweat and colonge.

"Shall we bid adieu?" he murmured in her ear. She nodded, and he helped her up. The two bid their friends goodnight, Rose thanking them for such an eventful evening.

As they walked to the bow of the ship, the stars grazed brilliantly overhead, shining like diamonds in the night sky.

Thomas and Rose walked along the row of life boats, the shipbuilder stealing glances at the beautiful young woman beside him.

Since their time in the quarters of the third class, Thomas had relished in the feeling of Rose in his arms, hearing her excited and happy laugh, her heart beating wildly against his own.

Despite the fact he had only known her since the day before, he felt a longing, no, a need... a need to always be near her...always protecting her from the dangers of the unknown.

Also there was the longing of the feeling of her smooth skin. Of course he had been able to hold her as they danced, but he wondered what it would be like to hold her in his arms, whispering his love for her as they kissed...

_NO!_ Thomas thought to himself. _She is Charles' daughter! **You** are responsible for his death, therefore you **do not **deserve her! _his mind kept taunting him.

Would he never be able to have a chance at love?

Still dizzy and excited from the party, Rose turned to her companion and noticed his quiet manner. She looked up at the sky again, this time thinking of the hymn, Be Thou My Vision.

"Mr. Andrews, do you happen to know any songs from Ireland?" Rose asked. Andrews looked at her in surprised, raising an eyebrow.

Rose giggled. She knew why he was looking at her that way. She was supposed to call him 'Thomas'. Andrews chuckled.

"I know a few...anything in particular?" Rose scrunched up her nose in thought, and despite herself she began to yawn.

"How about Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ra?" she asked. Thomas chuckled to himself. It had been years since he'd heard that song...even longer since his maither had sung it to him as a wee boy.

"Alright, but you've been warned, m'dear...I may not know all of the words, but I'll sing it on one condition" Rose looked at him in interest.

Thomas smiled. "If ye start fallin' asleep on me, its of to bed ye go" Rose blushed and laughed softly. She nodded. "Alright"

Thomas looked up at the night sky, looked down at Rose with a smile, and started to sing:

**(A/N: Disclaimer: I do not own the lyrics to Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ra)**

**An Irish Lullaby**

**Over in Killarney**

**Many years ago,**

**Me Mither sang a song to me**

**In tones so sweet and low.**

**Just a simple little ditty,**

**In her good ould Irish way,**

**And l'd give the world if she could sing**

**That song to me this day.**

**"Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral, Too-ra-loo-ra-li,**

**Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral, hush now, don't you cry!**

**Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral, Too-ra-loo-ra-li,**

**Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral, that's an Irish lullaby." **

**Oft in dreams I wander**

**To that cot again,**

**I feel her arms a-huggin' me**

**As when she held me then.**

**And I hear her voice a -hummin'**

**To me as in days of yore,**

**When she used to rock me fast asleep**

**Outside the cabin door. **

As he finished singing, he noticed that Rose had tears in her eyes. "Hey now, your not supposed to cry" he teased.

Rose giggled a little, sniffling as she did. Thomas offered her his handkerchief, which she gladly accepted. "I'm sorry...that song brings backs so many memories."

Thomas nodded. "Did your mum ever sing it to you?" he asked. Rose shook her head. "No, Dat used to sing it to me every night for as long as I could remember, before..." Thomas winced. As he looked at her now, dabbing her eyes, he promised himself one thing. He would never do anything to intentionally cause Rose any harm.

_What about her father? _his mind taunted him. The shipbuilder gritted his teeth, clenching his fist. 'It's not my fault!' he wanted to shout. **  
**Rose looked at Thomas' face and frowned. Had she done something wrong? Shaking her head, she went to one of the davits and swayed back and forth on it.

Thomas looked over at her, one of the corners of his mouth turning up.

"Isn't it wonderful how God took the time to make us all...even in the span of seven whole days? And even this..." she pointed to the sky. "wouldn't be here if He didn't say so" Thomas' smile turned into a grin. He couldn't argue with that. (A/N: I can't either ^_^)

"There all such small people, Thomas... your friends, I mean. They think they're so high and mighty, but they're not even specks of dirt in the good Lord's eye."

Thomas nodded in agreement.

"They live in their own little world...but soon this world and theirs is going to end" Rose continued. Thomas chuckled. She was right, about all of it.

"But you and I," she said, smiling at him, "and Mum, and everyone down in the third deck...we're different. Different, and yet the same..."

She went over to the railing again, leaning on it. Thomas leaned over the railing next to her, his fingers just barely grazing her arm. They both looked at each other as a surge of what felt like electricity surged through them.

Trying to avoid her gaze, lest he felt he'd melt, Andrews looked out at the sea, the moon playing on the waves of the vast ocean.

Shaking his head, he spoke. "Sometimes I wish I could go back to my younger days... being so carefree with not a worry in the world, smelling the air, and enjoying every moment of the Father's Creation"

Rose nodded and smiled sadly. Her father had been that way, carefree, yet kind and understanding and responsible...like Mr. Andrews.

Changing the topic to a random subject, Rose turned to her companion. "what is your home like in Ireland, Thomas?"

Andrews looked at the young woman next to him. "You'd really like to know?" he asked.

Rose nodded eagerly. Thomas grinned, ecstatic about her curiousity. Besides... if all went well...

"Oh, well, it's a beatiful place. You would really like it. My family has a house near Bangor... not that far from Belfast" Rose raised an elegant eyebrow. "Isn't that where Titanic was built?" she asked.

Thomas nodded, smiling, surprised at her knowledge of that. "How did you...?" Rose smiled. "We used to live in Belfast...everyone kept saying for years that nothing exciting happened in Belfast...well, if only they could see this!" she exclaimed, holding on tighter to the railing. Thomas laughed.

"Anyway...I used to love being there all the time when I was young, especially in the early autumn. We'd take the rowboat out on the lake, and go fishing. Once, my cousin caught a huge fish on his line, and the fish pulled so hard, it pulled us and everything else in the boat, with it in the water." It was Rose's turn to laugh.

"Better you then him, I guess" she laughed. Thomas chuckled with her at the memory. "Yes, I suppose so"

"And other times, Eddie and I would sneak up on our cousin Maggie and her beau, Theo...we never liked 'im. Thought he was too old for her, so we played tricks on 'im" Rose held her laughter behind her hand. She could envision a young Thomas and Eddie as mischevious little youngsters.

"Your not the only one" she grinned. "I could pull a prank or two myself, in my day" Thomas eyed her suspiciously. "I realized that. I found out earlier that someone had slipped a toad in Ms. Macy's room"

Rose looked at him ruefully. "So that's where Teddy the Toad got to!" Thomas laughed.

"I would take a boat out there myself and just sit there floating for hours on end, listening to the birds sing, and the wind ruffling my hair in the trees... It's like heaven on earth"

Rose was quiet for a time. "Our home was like that" she whispered. "Dat used to take me fishing out on the lake during summer...and he taught me how to swim. Then, during winter, we'd go ice fishing as a family..."

As Thomas held her gently in his arms, whispering sweet-nothings in her ear, Rose surrendered to her tears... to the greif she had not expressed.

After a few minutes, Rose stopped crying. Andrews regrettably let go of her. Wiping her eyes, Rose looked up at the starry sky and noticed a shooting star.

"Look! A shooting star!" she exclaimed softly.

Thomas smiled, standing beside her in a protective manner, not wanting anyone or anything to harm her. "My father used to tell me that whenever you saw a star like that, someone was going on to Glory"

Rose grinned. "I like that" she said. She turned to look up at him. "Aren't we supposed to wish on it?" she asked innocently.

Thomas looked down into her shining blue eyes. Standing so close to her, it would be easy for him to wrap her in his protective embrace, to kiss her every fear, tear, and worry away. Rose looked up into his soft brown gentle eyes. She wished that something would be done as well. Though the pull was strong, Thomas somehow found the strength to resist it.

"What would you wish for?" Rose asked, feeling slightly dizzy. After a moment, Andrews sighed and turned away. Still believing that he was the cause of her misery and despair, he answered. "Something I cannot have"

Rose smiled sadly. "Good night, Mr. Andrews." she whispered, willing herself not to cry. Rose turned away and left the rail, hurring through the First Class Enterance.

Thomas had given her the key to her room that morning.  
"Rose!" Thomas called, wishing she'd return, but was too late. The door banged shut. The night of magic was gone. Cinderella had returned to her world of misery and chores.

Thomas cursed himself for being such an idiot! Slamming his fist upon the railing, he made his decision. He would not lose her now, he would get her back, no matter what it took!

(A/N: That's all for now! Please R&R! bye!)


	8. We Meet Again

**Chapter 8: We Meet Again**

**April 12th 1912**

Gabriella Macy sulked in disgust. That idiotic hussy of a maid had not been at her disposal this morning.

Pacing about, she suddenly came up with the idea to request Mr. Andrews' services.

She went down the hall, and nearly bumped into Ruth DeWitter.

"Oh! Beggin' yer pardon, miss" Ruth murmured.

"Humph! Stupid maid...watch where you're going!" Gabriella huffed.

Ruth looked at her with a raised eyebrow. "Now see here, young lady. I may be hired to tend to yer needs, but that doesn't mean that ye don't owe me, or my daughter for that matter, any respect!"

Gabriella glared at her, folding her arms. "Hmm...yes, and it's that same attitude that will get you _both_** fired**!"

Gabriella pranced down the hall toward Thomas Andrews' office.

Ruth's heartbeat quickened, but she was too old and too mature to get down on her knees and beg anyone mortal, that is, for anything.

"Oh, Lord, if ye can hear me, please help us now" Ruth shook her head, making her way to the other side of the A-deck to begin her mending duties.

**Thomas Andrews' Office**

Thomas Andrews sighed as he looked over the shipbuilder's blueprints for what seemed the millionth time, in reality, it had been.

Despite the fact that _Titanic_ was known as the 'unsinkable ship', that didn't mean that she was uncapable of sinking.

Thomas shuddered with the thought. The Lord forbid that anything happen to the vessel that was in fact made of iron, and truly was capable of sinking. He wanted everyone to get off board safely, however, due to the vast amount of people on board, 2,200 souls to be exact, and the few twenty lifeboats allowed on board, the maximum allowed by his firm, Harland and Wolfe, in truth allowed only approximately half of the passengers, if not more to escape with their lives!

That scared Thomas to no end. Rose's face appeared in his mind suddenly. Not that he didn't desire _everyone's _safety, it wasn't that at all; he just hoped that if the time ever came, he prayed that she and Ruth both would have the sense to be the first ones on a life-boat.

Just as Thomas was considering putting everything away, and sneaking off to catch a bite to eat before Sunday Mass, a knock sounded on the door. Thomas, of course was in his Sunday best, so he got up and answered the door.

To his dismay, Miss Macy was at his stateroom door, grinning like a lovesick puppy.  
"Good morning Mr. Andrews" she said, quite flirtatiously. Andrews blushed. Not only were her manners atrocious, but her attire left more to be desired in the modesty factor. Trying to contain his heated blush, and his manly hormones, he tried to look elsewhere, but it was difficult not to be rude in such a precarious position.

_If I were a married man, I'd... _he was caught off guard by Miss Macy trying to gain his attention.

"Er- good morning to you ma'am, is there any way in which I can be of assistance?" Andrews was feeling a bit overheated now, and Ms. Macy's odorous perfume was not helping.

"Yes, that little trollop of a maid did not show up to my room this morning! And furthurmore, I have much to do before getting ready for the ball this evening!"

Andrews looked at her with a raised eyebrow. _Something as trivial as starting at yourself in the mirror until it shatters into a thousand pieces, or perhaps sitting by the fire eating sweets until the fabric of your gown rips from the overexposure of laziness? _Andrews thought, grinning wickedly to himself. Instead, he looked at her, trying his best to keep a straight face. Right about now she looked like an overdressed pumkin that rolled in too much rouge, shattering her perfume bottle.

Gabriella however took Andrews' smile as that of attraction, not ridicule. With that, she grinned to herself, wrapped her arm around his neck and kissed him full on the lips. Andrews gasped in horror! What in blazes was she doing?

He heard a tray drop, and glass shattering. Looking up, he saw Rose staring in shock and unbelievable horror.

With all his might, Andrews pushed Gabriella off of him, and she landed into the wall, grinning surreptitiously and licking her lips. "Mmm... Mr. Andrews, I must say...you are undoubtedly a stupendous kisser!" she laughed.

Andrews got red in the face, angry, surprised, embarrassed, confused and hurt all in one.

"You get out of here!" he yelled. "You would answer very well to a whipping !2" he spat.

Gabriella looked at him furiously and then walked up to him, slapping him across the face. "You beast!" she screamed. "I shall never forgive you for this!" As she stormed out, Andrews noticed that Rose was already gone. Thomas looked at Gabriella with disdain and gave her a mock English bow. "You have as little honesty as honour!3" Andrews whispered under his breath. "I fear for the man who next encounters you!" With that, Thomas grabbed his Bible from his desk and walked on to Sunday Mass. How he prayed he would be able to make things right!

**Rose's Stateroom**

Rose did the best she could to keep from crying. She had been summoned to tea by Mr. Hockley, and could not refuse. Mum had encouraged her to go, thinking that perhaps she would feel better if she went, after all, it wasn't everyday that a gentleman requested the prescence of a lady of their 'class'. Rose sighed as Trudy continued to tighten her laces for her corset.

"Which one will you be wearing, miss?" Trudy asked. Rose looked over on the bed, deciding that the blue taffieta looked lovely. "The blue one, I think" Rose blushed. Trudy smiled. "Yes, miss...and if I may say miss, the color really brings out your eyes" Rose smiled and blushed harder. "Thank ye Trudy" she whispered. Slipping the cool fabric over her head, the dress came down and flowed beautifully around her waist.

"It's lovely!" Rose said. Trudy smiled. "Yes, miss...I told you so" Rose smiled, grabbing her shoes and her shawl.

"Begging your pardon, miss, but will Mr. Andrews be escorting you to Mass?" Trudy asked innocently. Rose winced. Eversince she'd been about to carry a tray of tea for Thomas, the scene with him and Gabriella kept flashing in her mind. "No, Trudy, I don't believe he will" Rose looked down at the floor. Trudy grimaced. She'd seen the way Master Andrews and the young miss got along. They seemed to have a fancy for each other. They also weren't that far apart in age... Trudy allowed herself a smile. Oh how she hoped! The young maid snapped to attention when she heard Miss Rose calling her.

"Have you seen my Bible anywhere?" Rose asked her friend. "I can't seem to find it" Trudy grinned. "Yes miss...it's over here" Trudy went over to the nightstand by Rose's bed and opened the drawer. There lay Rose's bible, given to her by her parents at age nine. Rose smiled sadly as she held the treasure. "Thank you Trudy, I'm afraid I must be off now" Trudy nodded. "Have a good time! Will you need help this evening?" Rose looked at her strangely. "The Masquerade ball is tonight...won't you be going?" Trudy asked. Rose smiled. "Ah, yes, um...I don't believe so" Trudy was shocked! Miss Rose, not attend the pretty party? But before she could ask anything furthur, Rose walked out the door, and onto Mr. Hockley's prominade.

Trudy frowned. Maybe a certain friend could help change the girl's mind...

**Caledon Hockely's Prominade- Tea**

Rose sat quietly, nibbling on the toast that was set before her. The butterflies that were currently floating around in her stomach prevented her from having much of an appetite. Why did Mr. Hockley send for her? What could he possibly want with a woman of her class, specifically her? She snuck a peek at him, currently, his green eyes were glimmering with something she could not place. Perhaps she had made a mistake coming here this morning. Oh how she wished that it were Thomas Andrews sitting across from her at this very moment, that what she had seen transpire between himself and Ms. Macy earlier this morning had been a figment of her imagination, and that they could resume the lovely conversation that they had begun the previous evening. Perhaps now they would be speaking about Ireland and its charming weather spasms, or how when one sits on a cliff of some sort in any sort of weather, the picture would stay the same, inprinted on one's mind. But it wasn't to be. Mr. Hockley was looking at her as if she were a piece of meat. She wished he would hurry and tell her what he'd planned to, so she could get to Mass early.

"I had hoped you would come join me last night. The view from the prominade is spectacular in the evening...especially when enjoying a glass of wine" he smiled at her in a way that made Rose's stomach twist in a knot.

Unknown to both of them, Spicer Lovejoy stood in the sitting room near the door, after being alerted by his 'friend' that Rose had been summoned here by Mr. Hockley.

_I would have sworn that __**he **__told her not to encounter Hockley again, and that he made it perfectly clear that Hockley is dangerous! Why is she here?_ he thought to himself.

Slowly, silently, he took his pistol out of its holster and loaded it. If Hockley _dare_ try to make a move, he'd take his last _breath_ doing it!

Rose blushed in embarrassment. "I-I'm sorry...I was terribly exhausted...had I known..." her voice trailed off.

Cal frowned. Exhausted _indeed_! "Yes. Your exertions below decks were no doubt _exausting_."

Rose looked up at him in shock. She blushed and then stiffened. How had_** he **_known about last night?

"You were following me?" she asked incredulously.

Cal smirked. How stupid could this girl be? Of course _he_ hadn't followed her! However, he _had_ sent someone to 'check' on her 'activities'.

With a wave of his hand, Cal disregarded her question. "You will _never_ behave like that again! Do you understand?"

Rose's eyes teared up. She felt as if she'd been slapped. Who was this man that he felt that he owned her?

"Who are ye to tell me how I shall and shant behave? You don't even know me! I am **not** some random slave that you can bark orders at!"

Spicer did his best to contain the soft laughter escaping his lips. She **was** a bullet! The only other person he knew that spoke like that would be Thomas Andrews.

"They're one in the same" Spicer mused quietly to himself. He wouldn't be surprised if Andrews and Miss Rose would be married by the time the voyage ended. In fact, he was_ hoping _for it!

Suddenly, Cal exploded, sweeping the breakfast china off the table with a crash.

He moved to Rose in one shocking moment, glowering over her and gripping the sides of her chair, so she was trapped between his arms.

Rose couldn't escape. The look in Mr. Hockley's eyes scared her.

"You are my fiancee! And my _wife_... in _practice_, if not yet by** law**. So you will _honor _me, as a wife is _required_ to honor her **husband**! I will **not **be made out a fool! Is this in _**any **_way unclear?"

Rose looked at him as if he'd gone insane, she wondered if he had.

"I am in no way your fiancee, _or_ your wife! You said before, that you have no ring, I have not a ring to show that we are binded by law, or by practice, so I beg ye, Mister Hockley, to let me go and leave me **alone**!" she glared at him.

Caledon could control his anger no longer. a loud sound of his backhanding her face was heard. Rose cried out.

Suddenly there was a _click _of a barrel being clicked back. Cal turned to see Lovejoy aiming his pistol in the air.

"Pardon for my intrusion, sir...but I do believe it is time for Mass. If you do not hurry, I believe you will not be able to enter the chapel."

Cal smirked and looked down at Rose who was still holding her cheek. "Get yourself together and get out of my sight you little harlot! We'll discuss this later"

With that, he fumed out of the room, Lovejoy looking behind him, wanted nothing better than to use the back of his 'employer's' head as target practice.

Shielding his gun, Lovejoy looked down at Rose. "Miss Rose?" he asked. Rose looked up at him, tears streaming down her face, her whole face turning red.

"Cad a dhéanfaidh mé leis seo ag dul? Gach Ba mhaith liom go bhfuil duine éigin a ghrá dom! It's a hopeless anois!/**What do I do to deserve this? All I want is someone to love me! It's hopeless now!**" she cried in Gaelic, rocking back and forth.

Lovejoy had no idea what she'd just said, but he had a photographic memory. He'd speak with his friend Mr. Andrews later.

"Shall we go to Mass?" Lovejoy asked gently. Rose looked around at the mess and cried harder. Lovejoy felt his heartstrings being tugged...he really hated to see any woman cry.

"Do not worry about this, we have maids to clean this up" he answered. "I know...It's my duty" Rose chocked, getting down on her knees getting ready to pick up some shards.

Surprised as he was at her statement, Lovejoy quickly grabbed her arm. "No use in you cutting yourself on the broken glass, my dear. You don't want to ruin that beautiful dress of yours"

Rose blushed. "Thank ye" she mumbled. Lovejoy allowed himself a hint of a smile. Caledon Hockley was a fool for attempting to hurt a young lady so lovely.

Surely a man such as Thomas Andrews would take care of her for the rest of her days. Lovejoy offered the girl his arm.

After grabbing her bible and shawl, Rose took the man's offered arm and they proceeded on to Sunday Mass.

**First Class Dining Saloon- Sunday Mass**

At the divine service, Captain Smith was leading a fairly large group in the hymn Almighty Father Strong To Save.

Rose and Ruth sang in the middle of the group near Mrs. Brown and Colonel and Lady Gracie.

Lovejoy stood near the back, keeping an eye on Rose. Turning around, he noticed a commotion at the entry doors.

Jack Dawson had been halted there by two stewards. He was dressed in his third class clothes, and stoond there, hat in hand, looking out of place.

_What's he doing here?_ Lovejoy thought.

"Look, you, you're not supposed to be in here." the steward said, trying to stall the young man.

"I was just here last night... don't you remember?" Jack answered, trying to get past the idiotic steward.

He looked up and noticed Lovejoy coming toward them. "He'll tell you." Jack insisted.

_Oh great! _Lovejoy thought. _How am I going to get rid of him? _he thought.

"The DeWitters continue to be most appreciative of your assistance. They asked me to give you this..."

He held out a slip of paper. Jack looked confused.

"I don't want it, I-" he stammered.

"I also feel compelled to remind you that you hold a third class ticket and you're going to have to _wait_..."

Lovejoy hinted, hoping Jack would take the bait.

Jack spotted Rose, but she didn't see him.

"I just need to talk to Rose for a-" Jack kept trying.

Lovejoy wanted to give up. _Would this boy never give up? _Spicer had anticipated that the young ruffian would attempt something like this, so he came prepared.

"Gentlemen, please see that Mr. Dawson gets back where he belongs. And that he stays there." Lovejoy said, handing two twenties to the stewards.

The steward looked at the money in surprise, not believing that he was actually holding two real twenty dollar bills. "Yes sir!" he grabbed Jack firmly by the arm.

"Come along you!" the steward grunted. Jack rolled his eyes, keeping a firm grip on the paper in his hand. What had Lovejoy really meant?

Satisfied, Lovejoy entered the chapel again, looking over at Rose as they finished singing the hymn.

"O hear us when we cry to thee for those in peril on the sea." Rose sang.

Thomas Andrews sought Rose out after the conclusion of Sunday Mass. His heart skipped several beats as he finally caught sight of her. She looked radiant in the dark blue taffieta dress given to her by Mrs. Brown.

Her hair flowed natural and was pinned back slightly with a green dragonfly comb, save for a few whispy tendrils hanging down her cheeks.

Despite himself, Thomas caught himself sighing involuntarily, like a schoolboy with his first crush.

"Pretty, isn't she" asked a voice. Andrews jumped slightly at hearing Molly Brown's voice of all people.

"Oh, Mrs. Brown...I-er..." Molly grinned from ear to ear at the shipbuilder. Any person with eyes could see that he had eyes for the fiery red-head.

"Oh, never mind... I just wanted to ask if the Masquerade was still on for tonight." Thomas smiled. "By all means, Mrs. Brown, yes. and I would enjoy it even more immensely if you were to grace us with your presence."

Molly giggled. "Oh, Mr. Andrews, please...save that for the younger girls...say Rose, perhaps?" Molly relished at the twenty shades of red coming on the shipbuilder's face at that moment.

"All right, Tom, I'll stop pestering' ya...just please do us all a favor, and tell her how you feel before one of these other rip-scallions try to take a chance at her"

Thomas nodded, smiling. That sounded like something Jack would say. He looked around for Jack and his Italian friend. Where were the two boys?

He inquired this of the steward waiting outside, who, in effect the young man's ears turned red from shame and embarrassment as he admitted the whole thing.

Thomas was surprised. He'd have to speak to Mr. Lovejoy later. Right about now, he was scheduled to give a tour of_ Titanic _to a rather large group.

Thomas actually considered having Ruth and Rose accompany him, thinking that they might enjoy a larger view of the vessel than the one the had received two days earlier.

Speaking of Rose, Andrews hadn't seen hide not hair of the girl since her birthday celebration the evening before, due to her mysterious disappearance afterwards.

Though after what happened this morning, Thomas couldn't really blame her. He still felt furious and humiliated that that little chit of a girl would force herself upon him like that!

Such thoughts made him long for Rose and her company. He hoped to find her and apologize.

Looking around, he finally found her, standing next to her mother and Lady Macy. Rose looked absolutely horrified. Fortunately, Gabriella was nowhere to be seen.

Not wanting to be rude, he walked up to the ladies and cleared his throat. "Good morning to you ladies" he said with a smile.

Ruth smiled at him. "Why good morning to you, Mr. Andrews." Rose said the same thing, though Andrews could tell that the girl's mind was preoccupied.

"Ms. DeWitter, may I have a word with you in private?" Thomas asked politely. Looking at her mother, Rose turned to him and nodded her head.

Andrews smiled, taking her by the arm, and leading her toward the revolving door, leading to the dining hall.

"Rose, I'd like to talk to you about this morning...I-"

"Rose! Rose, there you are!" Jack called, rushing over to her. Halting, he didn't recognize Mr. Andrews, until the man smiled at him.

"Hello, Jack" Andrews said. "Uh, hi" Jack said, feeling suddenly way out of place. "Um, Rose, I need to talk to you..."

"Not now, Jack" Rose answered hoarsely. This took both men by surprise. "Oh, um ok...well, I'll talk to you later then..."

Rose winced as Jack sighed, walking back the way he came. Knowing him the way she did, though, he'd wait until she was done.

"What was it you wanted to tell me?" Rose asked. Thomas nodded, suddenly feeling awkward.

"Um, Rose, I wanted you to know that what you saw this morning was not what it seemed. Gabriella Macy came in telling me that you weren't up yet or some such foolishness. She called you something that I will not repeat, or tolerate"

Thomas could feel himself getting angry again. There was no way that anyone would harm Rose, not while he was still living! If they tried, they would have a long drop down to the icy waters!

Rose blanched. _If he finds out about this morning, I don't know what I'll do! _she thought.

Thomas noticed Rose's expression. "Are you all right, my darling? you look a little pale" Rose looked up at him, confused.

"Wh-what did you just call me?" she stammered. "Do not fret, my love" Thomas whispered. Rose looked up into Thomas's cocoa brown eyes and saw love staring straight back at her.

"Thomas...truly?" Thomas nodded. "Till I take my last breath, my Irish Rose" he grinned. Rose giggled a little. She felt a warm tingly feeling creeping up from her toes all the way to her face.

"Th-thomas...I-I think ye should go now...the tour-" Thomas smiled, letting his right hand cup her face, his thumb lazily caressing her cheek back and forth.

"Until this evening, my dear" Thomas said, kissing her forehead. _Mmm...so warm and soft. _He let go of her before he went wild, and did something he'd regret.

Tearing away from her felt awful, but he knew he'd have her again...

"Until this evening, mo ghrá/**my love**... until we meet again..."

**Tour of Titanic- Gym**

Thomas Andrews led his tour group down the aft deck into the Edwardian style gymnasium. There was a woman pedaling a stationary bicycle in a long dress, looking rather ridiculous. Andrews' tour group consisted of Rose, Ruth, Cal, the Macy's and several others.

Cal walked over to the oars of a stationary rowing machine and started working them with a well trained stroke.

"Reminds me of my Harvard days" the man said, flashing a flirtatious smile in Rose's direction.

She, however, observed Lovejoy with a smile, was having none of it.

T.W. McCauley, the gym instructor, was a bouncy little man in white flannels, eager to show off his modern equipment.

He hit a switch and a machine with a saddle on it started to vibrate. Rose put her hand on it, curious.

"The electric horse is very popular, miss. We even have an electric camel." Mr. McCauley said with a grin.

Directing his gaze onto the rest of the tour group, his green eyes settled on Lady Macy.

"Care to try your hand at the rowing, m'am?" he asked, a mischievous look in his eye.

"Don't be absurd. I can't think of a skill I should likely need less." Lady Macy said with a huff, rolling her eyes.

Thomas, like Rose, was trying not to laugh. Clearing his throat, the Irishman continued on with the tour.

"The next stop on our tour will be the bridge. This way, please." Andrews said, elated when Rose ended up walking next to him.

**Bridge between B-deck and A-deck**

Jack, walking with determination, was being followed closely by Tommy and Fabrizzio. He quickly climbed the steps to B-Deck and stepped over the gate separating 3rd from 2nd class.

"She's a goddess amongst mortal men, there's no denyin'. But she's in love with another man, Jackie, forget her. She's closed the door."

Jack rolled his eyes, and with annoyance moved quickly to the wall below the A-Deck promenade, aft.

"So you're sayin' I should just give up on her? What if she gets hurt? She'll need me" Jack said.

Fabrizzio gave him a confused look. "Wait, I thought de plan was to set her up wid Andrews...unless..."

He and Tommy exchanged a knowing look. They shook their heads and sighed. Poor Jack. He was doomed for heartbreak for sure.

All three glanced around deck.

"Ready... go!" Jack muttered.

Tommy shook his head resignedly and put his hands together, crouching down. Jack stepped into Tommy's hands as the Irishman boosted him up to the next deck, where he scrambled nimbly over the railing, onto the First Class deck.

"He's not bein' logical, I tell ya." Tommy frowned. How could Jack be so stubborn? Tommy felt as if he were betraying his fellow Irishmen. In a way, he was.

Amore is'a not logical. Fabrizzio said, shaking his head.

At least Jack _thought _he was in love. Just wait...

On deck man was playing with his son, who was spinning a top with a string. The man's overcoat and hat were sitting on a deck chair nearby.

Jack emerged from behind one of the huge deck cranes, and calmly picked up the coat and bowler hat.

He walked away, slipping into the coat, and slicked his hair back with spit. Then he put the hat on at a jaunty angle. At a distance he could pass for a gentlemen.

**Bridge-Chartroom**

Harold Bride, the 21 year old Junior Wireless Operator, hustled in and skirted around Andrews' tour group to hand a Marconigram to Captain Smith.

"Another ice warning, sir. This one from the "Baltic"." Bride said, a nervous look in his soft brown eyes.

"Thank you, Sparks." Smith said.

Smith glanced at the message then nonchalantly put it in his pocket. He nodded reassuringly to Rose and the group.

"Not to worry, it's quite normal for this time of year. In fact, we're speeding up. I've just ordered the last boilers lit." Smith smiled, avoiding Thomas Andrews' gaze. He knew at one point he and the shipbuilder were going to have a 'talk'.

Andrews scowled slightly before motioning the group toward the door. Rose looked up at him with a curious look in her eye. The group exited the bridge just as Second Officer Charles Herbert Lightoller came out of the chartroom, stopping next to First Officer Murdoch.

"Did we ever find those binoculars for the lookouts?" Lightoller asked stiffly in annoyance.

First Officer Henry Murdoch grinned as he turned back from watching Mr. Andrews and the pretty red-headed girl next to him.

Looking at Charles, he shook his head and shrugged. "Haven't seen them since Southampton." he said.

Charles looked down at the couple, then over at Henry's grinning face. He rolled his eyes. "Keep your eyes on the sea where they belong, Murdoch...is that clear?"

As Lightoller walked away, Murdoch mock saluted. "Aye, aye sir" he chuckled to himself then went to find Harry Lowe.

They both planned to beseech the Captain to see if they could join the festivities for tonight. Wouldn't be long now!

**Boat Deck- Starboard side**

As Thomas Andrews led the group back from the bridge along the boat deck, he and Rose continued to walk side by side.

"Mr. Andrews, as you very well know, I don't know much about ships, but I did the sum in my head, and with the number of lifeboats times the amount of people you mentioned on board... forgive me, but it seems that there are

not enough for everyone aboard."

Andrews raised an eyebrow, surprised that she could tally up that many in her head so quickly. As to the reference of his name, well, since they were in public, he'd have to let it go for the time being.

"About half, actually." He smiled as they stopped, and he faced her. "Rose, you miss nothing, do you? In fact, I put in these new type davits, which can take an extra row of boats here."

He gestured to the row of lifeboats on deck. _So that's what their called _Rose thought. Thomas continued.

"But it was thought... by some... that the deck would look too cluttered. So I was over-ruled."

Rose frowned. Surely if he could have, Thomas would have fought to have more davits put in...so what if it looked cluttered!

Mr. Hockley went over and started tapping the side of a lifeboat with his cane. "Waste of deck space as it is, on an unsinkable ship!" he scoffed.

Rose frowned at him...and if Thomas didn't know better, she was glaring at him as well. He smirked to himself as they continued to walk along.

Wanting nothing more but to assure her, he linked her hand through his arm, and patted it.

"Sleep soundly, young Rose. I have built you a good ship, strong and true. She's all the lifeboat you need."

Rose looked up into his eyes, smiling for all she was worth. Thomas grinned. She looked lovely when she glowed.

Soon, out of respect for propriety, the two let go of the others arm.

As they are passed Boat 7, a gentlemen turned from the rail and walked up behind the group. It was Jack. He tapped Rose on the arm and she turned, gasping.

Thomas had already walked on with the others, so who was this?

The stranger motioned her to come closer and she discreetly walked away from the group toward a door which Jack held open.

They ducked into the gym.

Jack closed the door behind her, and glanced out through the ripple-glass window to the starboard rail, where the gym instructor was chatting up the woman who was riding the bike.

Rose and Jack were otherwise alone in the room.

"Jack, What are you doing? This is impossible. I can't be in here like this with you."

Jack put his hands on her shoulders.

"Rose, you're no picnic... you're a spoiled little brat even, but under that you're a strong, pure heart, and you're the most amazingly astounding girl I've ever known and-"

Rose was astonished! She knew exactly what Jack was trying to do, but she just didn't feel the same...

"Jack, I-"

Jack closed his eyes for a second. What if she rejected him?

"No wait. Let me try to get this out. You're amazing... and I know I have nothing to offer you, Rose. I know that. But I'm involved now. I can't turn away without knowing that you're goin' to be alright."

Rose felt tears coming to her eyes. Jack is so tender and sweet... He wasn't like anyone she had ever known. Surely some other young lass...

"You're making this very hard, on me Jack... I'll be fine. Really. I-"

Jack shook his head.

"I don't think so. Cal and Gabriella've got you in a glass jar like some butterfly, and you're goin' to die if you don't break out. Maybe not right away, 'cause you're strong. But sooner or later the fire in you is goin' to go out.

Rose looked up at him stubbornly. _It's now or never! _she thought. "It's not up to you to save me, Jack...I'm sorry but Thomas and I...I don't know at the moment, but I'll figure it out."

Jack winced, letting go of her. "You're right. Only you can do that...but I'll be right here"

Rose shook her head. She truly believed that Thomas Andrews was the one. "I have to get back, they'll miss me. Please, Jack, for both our sakes, leave me alone."

She turned away, not once looking back. Jack sighed, shrugged his shoulders, dejectedly. Hopefully someday she'd come around.

**Captain Smith's Office**

Thomas Andrews knocked on the door of Captain Smith's Office around four- o'clock. He couldn't stay long, seeing as how the Masquerade was on for tonight, and he had to help with coordination of preparations.

"Captain Smith? I was wondering if I may have a word with you" Andrews said, poking his head around the door. The older man smiled. "Well, Tom! It's good to see you...come in! Come in!" Thomas obliged, stopping three feet before the man's desk.

"Well, Tom, Titanic is moving along just swimmingly, isn't she?" the captain chortled at his own joke, Thomas allowing himself a smile.

"Yes, of course, Edward, but...I would like to speak to you about the boilers"

Edward Smith winced. Somehow he knew that receiving that blasted telegram in front of Tom wasn't a good idea! "Well Tom, you see...er-" The man scratched his beard.

"It's a little late to yell" Thomas remarked. "Though as the ships builder, I must say that lighting the last boilers is quite a safety hazard! It is the dead of winter, and we are bound to encounter an iceberg of some sort...what if something were to happen? If the iceberg were to rip through, the results could be catastrophic! Also as a concerned passenger, I cannot help but think about the other lives aboard this ship!" Thomas stopped to catch his breath.

Edward gave Tom a cheeky smile. He'd heard a certain someone say something about a certain red-haired, blue-eyed maid, in Tom's employ...a family friend of some sort.

"Would this have to do with anything about a certain maid?" he asked innocently. Thomas' cheeks burned with embarrassment. Had Lovejoy or Bruce said anything about this? if so, he'd hunt them down!

"That's not the point, Edward... what I'm saying is, just please...tread cautiously...we don't know what's going to happen." Edward nodded. "I understand, Tom...I will keep that under consideration" Thomas nodded. "Thank you Edward...good day" Edward smiled. "Good day, Tom...I trust I will be seeing you this evening?" The shipbuilder nodded his head. "I advise you allow at least two of your officers off duty tonight, Edward...say Lowe and Murdoch? They have been a great help" Edward nodded. "will do"

Edward smiled as he watched Tom leave back to his stateroom. Ah, love...why couldn't he see it? It was clear as the ocean blue.

1) quote from Shakespeare's play (All's well that ends well)

3) quote from Shakespeare's play (King Henry VIII)


	9. Author

**Author's Note **

**Ok, for those of you who have been waiting, and wondering, it's time for the Masquerade! Yay! Now...for those who have seen Brandy's version of Cinderella, you may like what I'm about to do next. :) Then again, you may not...please bear with me! This IS Thomas and Rose pairing...though in the beginning you may think 'what the heck?' if you see Lowe/Rose (this is just an intro) Keep reading! (and reviewing!)**

**I'm only doing this up to the ball...(I think) just stick with me, and Please R&R!**

**On with the story!**


	10. The Masquerade

**Disclaimer: I do not own Titanic or Brandy's Cinderella, or any songs!**

**Chapter 9: Masquerade**

**April 12th, 1912  
**

**Gabriella Macy's Stateroom**

**Evening  
**

Rose DeWitter rushed about, looking to make sure she had completed everything before Gabriella's march to the dance hall. No matter how hard she tried, she could not seem to make Gabriella happy. Rose stole several secret glares in the girl's direction. She was sure Gabriella was doing this on purpose...making sure that Rose was too tired to go to the ball.

"Why would _you _want to go anyway?" Gabriella drawled as she twirled around in her yellow taffeta dress. "No one would want to dance with a _**maid**_! Even one as hideous looking as _you_"

_Try taking a look at yourself in the mirror sometime and then answer your own blasted question! _Rose thought to herself. She didn't dare say that out loud, however, no telling what Lady Macy would do!

"Gabriella! Darling are you ready yet?" Lady Macy said from the hallway in a sickly sweet voice.

"Yes, Mother...almost done!" Gabriella chirped. "Now...put on my shoes! Or did you steal them?" with a silent glare and a deadly growl, Rose begrudgingly put on the girl's shoes.

_You could go barefoot for all I care! _she thought. _See how it feels for someone to step on __**your **__toes for a change!_

Rose grinned to herself. Thomas and Jack would be proud of her!

_Oh, Thomas! _she thought. _If only we could dance together in each other's arms! Just for a little while!_

As Gabriella finished, Rose sighed. After the haughty girl had left, Rose continued on to her own stateroom, hoping to get some rest before she'd have to do it all over again.

Disclaimer: I do not own Cinderella, Titanic, or the lyrics to any of the songs!

_**I'm as mild and as meek as a mouse**_

_**When I hear a command I obey.**_

Well that was mostly true, Rose thought as she entered her stateroom and closed the door.

_**But I know of a spot in my house**_

_**where no one can stand in my way.**_

Rose smiled as she looked at the mirror and chair by the doorway. She walked over and sat down.

_**In my own little corner in my own little chair**_

_**I can be whatever I want to be.**_

Rose grinned to herself as she pulled her legs up to her knees and hugged them to herself.

_**On the wings of my fancy I can fly anywhere**_

_**and the world will open its arms to me.**_

Looking through the mirror, she thought she could see Thomas standing there in a white tuxedo with black pants, smiling at her, ready to take her in his arms as they danced.

_**I'm a young Egyptian princess or a milkmaid**_

_**I'm the greatest prima donna in Milan**_

Feeling a little shy, and silly, Rose stood up and curtsied in front of the mirror and twirled around.

_**I'm an heiress who has always had her silk made**_

_**By her own flock of silkworms in Japan**_

Grabbing a bolt of cloth off of the bed, she twirled around with it, pretending to fight a bull.

_**I'm a girl men go mad for love's a game I can play with**_

_**cool and confident kind of air.**_

Rose giggled, taking her hair down from its tie, and shaking it out a little, smiling flirtatiously in the mirror.

_**Just as long as I stay in my own little corner**_

_**All alone in my own little chair.**_

She sat back in the chair looking up at the lights.

_**I can be whatever I want to be.**_

_**I'm a thief in Calcutta I'm a queen in Peru.**_

She 'pretended' to steal her comb and brush, then brushed her hair

_**I'm a mermaid dancing upon the sea**_

Rolling on the bed, she pretended to be a mermaid.

_**I'm a huntress on an African safari.. it's a dangerous type of sport and yet it's fun**_

Taking one of the pokers, Rose pointed it at the bed as if there were a monster on top.

_**In the night I sally forth to seek my quarry**_

_**And I find I forgot to bring my gun.**_

Dropping the poker, she stalked toward the bed, crawling on her hands and knees, towards the door.

_**I am lost in the jungle all alone and unarmed when I meet a lioness in her lair**_

Moving quietly down the hallway, she went so far, before she thought she saw Lady and Ms. Macy before rushing back to the room and slamming the door.

_**Then I'm glad to be back in my own little corner,**_

_**All alone in my own little chair.**_

Breathing a sigh of relief, Rose sat down in the chair brushing her hair out, wishing she too could be at the ball.

**The Ballroom**

The festivities were in full swing when Molly Brown entered the room on the arm of Henry Murdoch. "Thanks, Mister" she grinned. Murdoch grinned back, tipping his hat.

Molly walked over to Ruth, who was standing next to Bruce Ismay. "Hiya Bruce, Ruth, can I talk to you for a minute?" Ruth smiled and nodded.

She shifted uncomfortably in the black ball gown loaned to her by the Countess of Rothes.

"Whatever is the matter, Mrs. Brown?" Ruth asked. "It's Rose" Molly murmured. Ruth looked surprised. "Where is she? I thought she'd be here by now" Ruth said, a worried expression on her face.

"Now, don't go getting your hair in a knot...I'm sure she's fine wherever she is...she's probably with Andrews" Molly grinned. Ruth smiled, then noticed Mr. Hockley stepping over to them, Mr. Lovejoy not too far behind.

"Mr. Hockley, I was wondering if you may have seen my daughter, Rose?" Ruth asked. Cal snickered politely then shook his head. "Why no, madam, I haven't...surely she's about somewhere" he said, thankful that Ruth had popped the idea into his head.

Lovejoy was in a conversation with Molly. Molly nodded her head. "Thanks, Spicer" she said. He smirked slightly, handing her something. "for your troubles" he whispered. She grinned wider. "Thanks a bunch...in the room, right?" he nodded.

"Ruth, I'll be back...if you see Tom, just tell him I went to go look for somethin'" Ruth nodded, slightly confused.

Molly nodded. walking out the door, down the staircase, out on the deck, and back to the first class entrance. Thanks to a certain chambermaid named Trudy, she had work to do!

**Molly Brown's Stateroom**

"Where...? oh! there!" Molly grabbed the parcel from off the bed and looked it over. She whistled. _Thank you Spicer Lovejoy _she thought. Quickly she glanced at the clock. 5:45 not bad timing! Now, if she could just get Rose to get dressed in a hurry...

**Rose's Stateroom**

Rose heard a knock at the door while in the middle of the Grimm Brothers' Cinderella. It was a tragic tale, and she was grateful for the interruption.

"Hello...oh! Mrs. Brown! What are you doing here?" Molly smiled, "Hi Rose...mind if I come in for a bit?" she asked. Rose nodded, making room for her.

Molly scurried into the room, carrying the parcel and laying it gently on the bed.

Rose looked at it curiously. She had set her hair up again, the pins hurting her scalp.

Molly looked at her up and down. "So, what size dress can you wear?" she asked.

Rose blushed. "Oh, well, I'd say a size 4" Molly nodded. She'd guessed right!

"How fast do you think you can get dressed?" Molly asked. Rose blushed again.

"Dressed? I-er…" Molly frowned. "Whatsa matter darlin'?" she asked. "You're actin' as if that little floozy is gonna tear your hair out."

Rose blanched. "She just might" Molly rolled her eyes. "Well, she's gonna have to get through me, your mom and several others….including Mr. Andrews, to get to you, darlin'" Molly grinned. The girl was blushing as red as her hair. "Now, c'mon" I wanna see how this dress looks on you"

Rose stepped cautiously to the bed, fingering the dark green fabric. "It's lovely" she smiled.

"Yeah, and it'll be even more lovely on you, once you put it on"

Rose stepped back. "Oh, I can't…it's impossible"

Molly rolled her eyes again. "Ok, but it's your loss…" Rose 'hmphed' and stepped toward the bed, taking off her apron.

I don't own the lyrics to the songs!

**Dancing bears, **

**Painted wings, **

**Things I almost remember, **

Rose smiled as Molly tied up her corset.

**And a song someone sings, **

**Once upon a December **

As she thought about her birthday celebration, she remembered Thomas' strong gentle voice as he sang her the lullaby

**Someone holds me safe and warm,**

As she pulled on the dress, she twirled, imagining Thomas holding her in his arms.

**Horses prance through a silver storm, **

As everyone danced tonight, the ship would continue to sail through the night.

**Figures dancing gracefully across my memory... **

Rose imagined everyone dancing gracefully in a variety of costumes.

**Someone holds me safe and warm, **

Putting on the dress, Rose got a warm fuzzy feeling creeping in her body. Putting on her dark green slippers, size five, the girl walked over to the mirror and twirled.

**Horses prance through a silver storm, **

**Figures dancing gracefully across my memory... **

Molly looked on approvingly. Perfect! It wouldn't be long now! Quickly and carefully she helped the girl put on her eye mask. Dark green with gold trimming.

"Lovely" Molly smiled. Rose giggled excitedly as the two women walked out of the room and down the hall.

**Far away, long ago **

**Glowing dim as an ember,**

They made their way down the deck hall into the grand foyer. The chandelier was glowing dimly.

**Things my heart used to know, **

**Things it yearns to remember. **

The dining hall and ball room were lovely. Rose wanted to remember this night for years to come.

**And a song someone sings, **

**Once upon a December **

Soon she laid eyes on him. Thomas Andrews was dancing with Gabriella Macy! NO!

Crestfallen, Rose was about to make her way back down the stairs to the Grand Staircase, when she accidentally bumped into one of the shipmates.

"Oh, begging your pardon miss" said the young man. Rose looked up at him, slightly embarrassed.

The young Welshman, whose name was Harry Lowe, smiled kindly at the young lady.

"Pardon me, sir" Rose said in the best English accent she could muster. Suddenly she heard the band start up another song.

"Please, miss…if it's all the same to you, it looks as if you just walked in…please don't leave without having at least one dance…"

Rose smiled slightly. How kind this young man was…he reminded her of Jack.

Hesitantly, she accepted his hand, and he led her over to the dance floor.

Incidentally the band was playing one of Henry Purcell's classics The postcard.

Rose smiled. She loved this dace. It was quite easy, and Mr. Lowe was an exceptional dance partner.

Out of the corner of his eye, Thomas Andrews noticed that Harry Lowe had finally found a dance partner. But who was she?

Her gown of green and gold intrigued him…and goodness knows…where had he seen such red hair before?

Thomas tried to wrack his brain, but to no avail. He was still wondering, hoping if Rose had arrived. Oh to dance with his lovely Irish Rose…little did he know, she was five feet away from him.

As the dance progressed, Thomas' mind raced. The young girl with Harry seemed so familiar…yet, where had he seen her before?

He felt ridiculously uncomfortable in the presence of Ms. Macy. She was continually, selfishly, keeping him to herself, or so it seemed.

Thomas wished he knew of a way to get rid of her. As the dance ended, he bowed and quickly walked over to Bruce and Ruth.

Smiling at Ruth, he kissed her outstretched hand. "May I have this next dance?" he asked with a wink. Ruth grinned and nodded.

"Why of course, Mr. Andrews" she curtsied. Phew! Andrews thought. That would get rid of Gabriella for a time, but still…would he be able to…?

Ruth caught Thomas staring at a young lady coming near them. Off the top she knew it was Rose.

Glory be! Ruth thought delightedly. _And to think that Tom has no idea!_

"Mr. Andrews she said politely. "Would you consider instead this lovely young lady as a dance partner?"

Rose looked at her mother and grinned inwardly. Thomas had no clue who she was!

"How do you do, Mr. Andrews" she said in her best English accent possible. She curtsied lowly. Thomas looked at her in awe.

"If the young lady will allow…?" Thomas asked nervously, offering his hand.

Rose accepted his hand. "I will" she said with a smile. They walked together to the dance floor.

Thomas smiled and bowed, taking the girl into his arms.

"I can't help but get the feeling I've met you somewhere before" Thomas said.

Rose grinned. "I can't help but think so" she answered.

"Was it at the Café?" Thomas asked.

"No, I've never eaten there before" the girl smiled.

"Perhaps at the swimming pool?" the shipbuilder guessed again, wracking his brain for different locations.

"No, I didn't know the ship had a swimming pool" Rose said, managing to keep herself from laughing.

"Those eyes…I know I've seen them before, but where?" Thomas asked.

Rose shrugged. "Keep deep in thought, Mr. Andrews…perhaps you'll find the answer"

Thomas smiled. How mysterious this girl was…so enigmatic.

I don't own the lyrics to Ten Minutes Ago *I'm just borrowing them*

Thomas: **Ten minutes ago, I saw you I looked up when you came through the door my head started reeling you gave me the feeling the room had no ceiling or floor. Ten minutes ago, I met you, and we murmured our how do you dos I wanted to ring out the bells and fling out my arms and sing out the news. I have found her, she's an angel, with the dust of the stars in her eyes. We are dancing, we are flying, and she's taking me back to the skies! In the arms of my love, I'm flying, over mountain and meadow and glen. And I like it so well that for all I can tell I may never come down again. I may never come down to earth again.  
**

Rose: _Ten minutes ago, I saw you. You looked up when I came through the door. My head started reeling you gave me the feeling the room had no ceiling or floor. Ten minutes ago I met you and we murmured our how do you dos. _

She curtsies and he bows. Smiling through her mask, Thomas grins and takes her into his arms once more.

_I wanted to ring out the bells and fling out my arms and to sing out the news.  
_

Thomas: **I have found her.  
**

Rose_: I have found him, he's the light of the stars in my eyes.  
_

Thomas: **We are dancing  
**

Rose: _We are flying  
_

Thomas: **And she's taking me back to the skies  
**

Rose: _In the arms of my love, I'm flying over mountain and meadow and glen._

Thomas: **And I like it so well that for all I can tell I may never come down again.  
**

Both: _**I may never come down to earth again.**_

As the band continues to play, and everyone else is dancing, Andrews leads his lovely mysterious dance partner outside to the bow of the ship. There, they are able to watch the sun set.

"'Tis beautiful, isn't it?" Thomas asked.

The young woman beside him smiled and nodded. "Yes, it's lovely."

There was a gentle breeze, blowing through her hair. The scent of her perfume intoxicated Thomas with a euphoria that he took an exceptional delight in. His heart beat faster, his palms got wetter, from condensation or sweat, the shipbuilder had no clue, nor cared at the moment. He continued to stare at the lovely lass beside him. It was Rose. His Irish Rose. Every instinct told him it was true.

"What made ye do it?" Thomas asked her in deliberate Gaelic. "Do what?" she replied. "What gave ye the strength to overcome that pompous little…priss?" Tom chuckled, for lack of a better word.

The young lady smiled. "Mr. Andrews, I do believe I have no conceivable contemplation of what you are speaking of" With that, she walked on, leaving Andrews in a stupor.

So, the lass was playing hard to get? Hmm… two could play that game! He made his decision. Tomorrow morning, he would ask Ruth's blessing. By tomorrow night, if he proposed marriage, and Rose did not accept, he was at a loss of what else to do. He was a man helplessly in love. If he didn't know better, he'd say Rose felt the same.

Quickly, with boyish excitement, the Irishman followed the girl back into the ball room for supper. One way or another, he'd get Rose to tell him how she overcame Gabriella's demanding demeanor. He would have Rose as his own, if it were the last thing he'd do!

Despite his brave intentions, the shipbuilder forgot one major hurdle in his plan. Cal Hockley. He too, had set his sights on the mysterious evergreen girl. Unlike Thomas, who planned to do things the right way and ask Rose's mother for permission for her hand in marriage, Cal found that taking the direct approach was the best option. As he danced with the girl now in his arms, very close to plotting his next move on her,

Lovejoy was watching his 'boss' very closely, while dancing with a young lady named Amelia Manderly.

"Rose, I think it's time we stop playing games, hm?" Cal said, feeling below to her backside. Rose pushed his arm off and glared at him. "I have no idea to whom you are referring" she answered in English. Cal chuckled and went for her again.

"Oh, I think you do" he said, slightly rubbing her back. Behind her mask, Rose couldn't help but feel anything but fear. What did Hockley want with her. He answered her inward question with a smile as he offered her his arm. "Let's talk in private, shall we?" he asked, leading her to the stairwell.

Lovejoy's throat tightened as he watched that pitiful excuse of a beast walk off with Andrews' soon-to-be-fiancée. The way the man had looked when he came in, told Lovejoy that Andrews was ready to propose marriage. The only problem, was escorting Rose out of the ball room at this very moment. The music stopped and everyone clapped. Lovejoy excused himself from his partner, and walked silently out of the room.

Cal dragged Rose by her arm through the dining hall back to the staircase. Letting go of her, he shoved her toward the stairs. Rose gasped and held onto the banister. "What do you want?" Rose asked. "I should think that that answer is quite simple" Cal sneered. He walked toward her in a pompous manner with his hands behind his back.

"Now, if you do as I say and marry me, I might be convinced to allow your precious shipbuilder to live… if not, well, the both of you will have a nice swim in the cold waters." He whispered, his green eyes gleaming. Rose gasped. Surely he would not harm Thomas! How she hoped he had noticed her being led out of the ball room and was watching for her even now

. To her surprise, she caught not the eye of Mr. Andrews, but of the enigmatic Mr. Lovejoy. He put a finger to his lips requesting her silence. She nodded ever so slightly and looked back at Cal. "If I do marry you, will you promise to leave Thomas alone?" she asked.

"Upon my word" Cal grinned. Rose watched his eyes flicker. "Will you marry me Rose?" She glared at him. He could never harm Thomas, she knew that now. Secretly she hoped Mr. Lovejoy would shoot him on sight, but it appeared that the man was waiting for something.

"My answer is no….I will NEVER marry you!" With that she ran around him, but not before he caught her arm. "Mr. Hockley, I do believe the Captain has requested your presence in the ball room presently." stated Mr. Lovejoy, coming out of his hiding place. Cal looked up with surprise at his valet. What was he doing here? He kept his brutish grip around Rose's arm. She winced.

"Mr. Hockley, please…I beg of you to let go of my arm" Cal seethed. "Never" he hissed. "If I can't have you, no one will!" He tried to drag her down the stairs. "No!" Rose cried. "You will do as I—say!" Cal grunted. Rose shook her head and cried out again. "No, please let go…you're hurting me!" Lovejoy by now had raced by her side and punched Cal in the face. He fell down the stairs.

Lovejoy looked at Rose with a smug smile on his face. "Now then, shall I escort you back to your partner Mr. Andrews, Miss Rose?" he asked, giving her his arm. She blushed and accepted.

Looking down at Cal's unconscious body, she shivered. "Yes… please. This is not how I want to remember this night… please, tell no one of this" She looked him in the eye as she said this. Lovejoy knew that by 'no one' she meant Mr. Andrews. "I will only keep silent for so long" he said, giving her a knowing look.

Rose gulped. He meant that she would have to face Thomas herself and suffer the consequences. "Very well… Let us go"

Masquerade Ball Ballroom 10:45pm

Thomas was currently dancing with Molly who was slightly teasing him about the girl he had been dancing with earlier. "I don't know Tom…you think she could be a passenger on the Titanic? Looks to me as if she appeared out of nowhere" Thomas looked at her quizzically as he took a back step then moved forward again. "What do you mean, Molly? All passengers have been accounted for" Molly grinned suddenly.

"Have they Tom? I don't see Rose DeWitter anywhere around here, do you?" Just then, Rose came back in the door with Mr. Lovejoy. Thomas' smile grew into a grin. His fingers started to itch. Molly noticed this. "Go get her Tom…we'll dance more later on" she grinned.

Thomas nodded his thanks and walked towards the girl. Unfortunately, Colonel Gracie got to her first, smiling at her. They bowed to each other and the elder man took the girl into his arms. A hot unrelenting tightness overcame Thomas at that moment, he couldn't possibly be jealous of the Colonel, surely not!

Lady Gracie came up to him with a smile. "Would you care to dance, Mr. Andrews?" Thomas looked at her and smiled. She was about as old as the colonel and could pass for his mother. "Of course, madam" he smiled. As they danced Colonel Gracie indulged himself in flattering the girl a bit. "Have we met your parents before, my dear? Why, it appears as if you've come here by magic" Rose colored a little.

"No sir… I assure you I am a passenger, my escort can attest to that." Colonel Gracie got a cheeky look on his face then.

"Your escort wouldn't happen to be Andrews, would it? A fine bloke, that Andrews chap… couldn't find a better gentleman in all the seven seas… quite young I'd say too… why the man is hardly thirty. He he I wouldn't mind admitting that he got a bit of advice from yours truly about courting women, but there's no doubt he made a fine choice in finding such a rare gem such as you."

Rose blushed harder, grateful her mask was hiding it. All of this about Thomas she knew… why should she feel embarrassed from it coming from the colonel? Perhaps it was because he was complimenting her as well. She laughed softly to cover her embarrassment.

"There's no doubt that the gentleman Thomas Andrews has been graced by your generosity and gentle mannerisms, Colonel Gracie" Gracie colored pink as they continued dancing.

Meanwhile, Lady Gracie was chatting with Thomas. "You know, Mr. Andrews, you might find a fine young lady to suit your fancy among these young ladies tonight… such refinery! Such excellent _breeding_!" She drawled the last word completely unintentional. Nonetheless, Thomas colored noticeably.

The last thing he wanted was to be matched by the likes of Lady Gracie. "Oh, I think I see someone dancing with George…. If you'll excuse me for a moment" Thomas nodded and let her go, still thoroughly embarrassed by her insinuations about the young ladies here.

One twirl later, Gracie let go of Rose, who wanted to make her way back to the safety of Thomas' arms. He too noticed her, but she'd been intercepted by Lady Gracie. "My dear I must say what an honor it is to see you here tonight…. Are your parents here this evening by any chance?"

Rose looked nervously around the room for her mother, and noticed Gabriella sneaking her way back to Thomas' side. "...Well, my father, is…um" Lady Gracie noticed the girl's hesitation. "What about your mother?" As Rose continued to look around for her mother, she noticed that Caledon Hockley had made his way back into the room, his eye blackened, his limping gate, directing his seething glare straight at her.

She gulped quietly. "I-I am sorry… I am afraid I must go…" with that, Rose picked up her skirt slightly and made her way to the smoking room where Molly Brown was talking to Spencer Lovejoy. Molly noticed Rose's look of terror and looked concerned.

"Something' wrong darlin'?" She asked. Rose shook her head. "I feel slightly nauseated and I shall return to my room." Lovejoy gripped her arm lightly. "No" he whispered. "Your partner is looking for you… continue your affair and I will see to the problem. No harm will come to you, Miss Rose" Rose nodded. "Thank you" She went back into the ball room.

Meanwhile, Thomas had seen the girl rush off after speaking to Lady Gracie. After asking which way the girl had gone, he went in search of her. He met her in the doorway of the ballroom. "I thought you had left….I wasn't sure where you went…" he smiled awkwardly. Rose smiled back reassuring him. "I am alright" she said in English, disguising her accent.

Though she disguised her voice, Thomas had suspicions that she wasn't truly English. His ears picked up on a certain lilt in her voice, but not certain of its origin. "Shall we dance?" he asked with a smile, stretching out his hand. Rose nodded accepting, thinking that they were going back into the ballroom.

Instead, Thomas led her through the rooms until they got outside. Leading her to the stern of the ship, he took her into his arms again. As they danced, Rose smiled. "There's no music" she commented. He smiled and nodded to someone standing in the corner. It was one of the violinists. Rose grinned.

"Mr. Andrews…surely someone will notice." Thomas winked at her. "I assure you, my dear no one will notice a thing." Rose giggled. As the violinist played a waltz, Thomas and Rose danced by the stern of Titanic under the full moon and stars, gazing into each other's eyes… the best that their masks would allow them.

_Those eyes…those soft gentle blue eyes…_ Thomas thought. He'd seen them before, but where? As she looked at him, Rose couldn't help but feel pulled into his spell. He was a mountain of a man, yet gentle and soft, and so very handsome. Rose had to admit, in his white, ruffle collar shirt, black and gold trimmed coat, and white breeches with black socks and shoes, he looked quite dashing. (A/N: Now all he needs is a tri cornered hat, lol)

As the couple continued to dance, they didn't notice that Gabriella Macy was following them and was now spying on them. Something about the girl seemed familiar to Gabriella and she was going to figure out why.

A/N: don't own the lyrics to the 'Stepsisters' Lament

Gabriella: Why would a fellow want a girl like her?  
A frail and fluffy beauty?  
Why can't a fellow ever once prefer  
a solid girl like me?

She's a frothy little bubble  
with a flimsy kind of charm  
And with very little trouble  
I could break her little arm!

Oh oh why would a fellow want a girl like her?  
So obviously unusual?  
Why can't a fellow ever once prefer  
a usual girl like me?

Her face is exquisite I suppose,  
but no more exquisite than a rose is.  
Her skin may be delicate and soft  
but not any softer that a doe's is.

Her neck is no longer that a swan's  
She's only as dainty as a daisy  
She's only as graceful as a bird...  
So why is the fellow going crazy?

Oh why would a fellow want a girl like her,  
A girl who's merely lovely?  
Why can't a fellow ever once prefer  
a girl who's merely me?

She's a frothy little bubble  
with a frilly sort of air  
and with very little trouble  
I could pull out all her hair! Haha ha ha!

Why would a fellow want a girl like her,  
a girl who's merely lovely?  
Why can't a fellow ever once prefer  
a girl who's merely me?

What's the matter with the man?  
What's the matter with the man?  
What's the matter with the man?

She screamed as the deckhand cleaning the deck didn't notice her and splashed a bucket of water on her. Thomas and Rose didn't see or hear her and went back inside. The band continued to play Ten Minutes ago as they started to dance again. Dancing next to Bruce and Ruth, who, Rose thought with a smile, looked like the most charming couple on the dance floor, they willingly switched partners.

"I do hope that shipbuilder of ours is behaving himself" Bruce grunted.

Rose giggled slightly. "Oh yes Mr. Ismay, he's been a complete gentleman"

Bruce regarded her for a second or two. "You look vaguely familiar… aren't you that young lady I met last night at dinner?" he asked politely.

Rose colored a little. "You met several young ladies on this voyage Mr. Ismay…are you sure I am the one you met?" she asked in English. Bruce looked puzzled for a second. He smiled as Ruth decided to speak with the girl.

"My dear young lady, where on earth did you get that dress?" Ruth played along playfully. Rose smiled and curtsied. "From my escort, Mrs. Molly Brown, Madame…perhaps we should both thank her for her generosity, in that I was able to come this evening."

Ruth chuckled. "That we should" she whispered. Rose smiled as Thomas came over to her again to dance with her again.

"As long as the Titanic sails, I wish to never stop dancing with you, my lady" Rose giggled. "No wonder the Titanic is called the 'ship of dreams'" Thomas chuckled. "Miss…I believe in my heart that I have met you before… won't you tell me your name so that I will remember?"

Rose smiled and then froze as the clock struck once. It was eleven-fifty! She had ten minutes to get out of there and to get back to Gabriella's room before the girl came back and found that she was missing!

Suddenly, the captain rang the dinner bell. "Now then, everyone, it is almost midnight! It's nearly time to take off your masks and reveal who you've been dancing with…. Male to male contact will not be tolerated…those who do will be thrown in the brig for the remainder of the voyage. There was laughter throughout the room.

"I have to go" Rose whispered. She started walking towards the door. "What?" Thomas asked and then noticed the girl was not next to him. He noticed her about seven feet away from him. Catching up to her, he accidentally grabbed her bruised arm. She winced in pain and tried to grasp her arm back. Thomas looked down and lifted her sleeve. There was a large black bruise on Rose's arm where Cal had gripped it.

Confusion gripped Thomas like a vice, but unfortunately Rose slipped away before he could ask any more questions. "Tom…don't let that girl get away…she's too familiar I tell you" Thomas nodded and walked in the direction Rose had escaped.

Rushing down the stairs, she ripped off her mask, and there was a tiny ca-clank as her grandmother's green dragonfly hair comb hit the fifth to bottom stair. When Thomas got to the grand staircase, Rose was already gone. He went down the stairs and noticed something on the fifth stair. Picking it up, he noticed it was a hair comb. Examining it, he thought it looked familiar for some reason, but he didn't quite remember why.

"Did you find her?" Bruce asked. Thomas looked forlornly at the door leading to the deck. "No" he said sadly, shaking his head. He sighed, and at that moment, he thought of Rose. Where had she been all evening? Why wasn't she here? Surely she knew that as her mother was invited, so was she. Thomas shrugged. He'd ask her tomorrow. Little did he know… he'd be doing much more than that…

**April 13th, 1912  
**

**A-Deck Gabriella Macy's Stateroom: 12:05**

Rose quickly and successfully took off her dress and carefully laid it on her bed, grabbing her black maid's dress and apron. Putting them on, she quickly put her hair up in a tight bun, as it had been beforehand.

Putting her key above her stateroom door, and grabbing the one that also belonged to Gabriella Macy, she locked her door from the inside and went down the hall, up the stairwell, and down the corridor to A-159, Gabriella Macy's room. Disgusted with the girl, and noticing that the room was spotlessly clean as she had requested,

Rose sat on the girl's chair, placing her hands on her lap, and sighed, thinking again of the wonderfully magical time she had had, dancing with Thomas Andrews. She giggled at her success of hiding her true identity… though she wondered now if he actually suspected who she truly was.

Rose gasped as she heard the loud banging on the door… Gabriella. She timidly opened the door to see that the girl was a sopping, sloshing wet mess… her yellow dress having green water stains on it, her hair coming out of the French style bun at the nape of her neck. She glared at Rose with a snarl.

"Well? What are you looking at?" she hissed. "Get this thing off of me!" Rose tried her best not to crack a smile, but she failed miserably. Her insides were shaking with laughter. "I'll venture to say that your time this evening was rather…eventful?" she asked, literally biting her tongue to keep from laughing.

"Oh, it was horrible!" the girl nearly shrieked. "I mean, I did get to dance with Mr. Andrews, but he kept looking at me as if I weren't there, and then he kept trying to escape from me… then SHE showed up!" Rose couldn't help but feel estrogen laced pride flow in her veins as she feigned sympathy.

"Who was she? Was she beautiful? Did she dance with Mr. Andrews?" Rose asked, knowing all of the answers to her questions, thrilled that Gabriella did not. "Ugh! Just do me a favor and be quiet!" Rose pretended to look put out. "Yes miss" she said quietly, turning her back to Gabriella and grinning for all she was worth.

"Yes" she cheered silently. "What was that?" Gabriella asked suspiciously. "Oh, er- I meant 'yes…it must have been awful…. Tis a pity that you had such a dreadful night" Rose remarked, crossing her fingers behind her back. Jack would have been roaring with laughter by now.

Helping Gabriella out of her dress, Rose started humming to herself. "What are you humming?" Gabriella snapped. Rose, with an evil twinkle in her blue eyes, started singing the tune.

A/N: I do not own the lyrics to A Lovely Night XD

**A lovely night,**  
**A lovely night,**  
**A finer night you know you'll never see.**  
**You meet your prince,**  
**A charming prince**  
**As charming as a prince will ever be.**

Rose giggled to herself as she thought of Thomas in his costume: He did look like Prince Charming.

**The stars in the hazy heaven**  
**Tremble above you**  
**While he is whispering**  
**Darling I love you.**

The girl smiled dreamily as she twirled in her maid's dress, remembering how she and Thomas danced under the stars, their eyes conveying their love for each other.

**You say goodbye,**  
**Away you fly**  
**But on your lips you'll keep a kiss**  
**All your life you'll dream of this**  
**Lovely, lovely night.**

As Gabriella put on her nightgown, Rose twirled around, sighing happily. Gabriella glared at her suspiciously.

**You say goodbye,**  
**Away you fly**  
**but on your lips you'll keep a kiss**

Rose winked at Gabriella mischievously. Gabriella scowled at her.

**All your life you'll dream of this**

Rose made her way to the door, still singing, twirling softly.

**Lovely, lovely night.**

She walked out the door, smiling at Gabriella, winked at her, and slammed the door. Walking back to her room slowly, Rose wondered if Thomas would have actually kissed her if he'd had the chance…


	11. Thomas' Surprise

**Disclaimer: cqofegypt does not own Titanic  
**

**April 13th, 1912  
**

**Meanwhile in another part of the ship…**

Thomas walked back to his stateroom with the comb in his hand, examining it further when he looked up and realized he was at Rose's door. Biting his lip, he had the itching curiosity to go into her room.

_She's probably asleep_ his mind tried to reason with him, but no, he thought, if this comb was hers, it needed to be returned immediately. Finding the key on the door post, he opened her door checking around to see if anyone was in the hallway. The hallway was empty.

Slipping inside, Thomas closed the door quietly. Adrenaline was making his heart race. Rose could be asleep for goodness' sake! Turning on the gas lamp, Thomas looked around the room and noticed that the room was clean and empty.

Taking a look at the bed, he noticed that there was something dark on it. Stepping closer out of curiosity, he noticed that the dark item was a dark evergreen dress with gold trimming! Thomas' mind spun. Why would this dress be in Rose's room?

This again brought the shipbuilder back to his earlier question. Where had Rose been all evening? He walked toward the bed, fingering the fabric. It was dark green velvet. Thomas smiled. He now knew the reason for Molly's teasing and secrecy all evening. She knew that he was in love with Rose; therefore she had set it in motion that the girl should go to the gala.

The dress and mask had been a perfect disguise, though since Rose had been wearing her hair up, he hadn't recognized her; and what had she used? This comb. Thomas fingered the comb again in a loving gesture.

The shipbuilder looked at his pocket watch. The time was 12:20. He wondered if Ruth was still awake. He needed to speak with her, now. He couldn't wait any longer. Looking again at the dress, Thomas smiled. He suddenly had an idea. Walking over to the bureau, he opened it, his heart racing. If it were anyone else, Thomas wouldn't take the risk of getting gob smacked…just Rose.

In the bureau, he saw three dresses, all given to Rose by Molly Brown, he suspected. Taking one out, he noticed it had a long white skirt, a pink sash and a white and lavender top. Imagining it on Rose, Thomas smiled. Lovely. Placing the other dress carefully in the dresser,

Thomas gently and quietly closed the doors. He laid the dress out on Rose's bed, and placed the comb in the middle. Perfect. Before he left, Thomas walked quickly over to the desk and penned a short note.

_My Darling Rose,_

_I know it was you tonight at the Masquerade Ball…Never have I felt so enchanted or spell-bound before I took you in my arms tonight. I hope, may the Lord forgive me for any improper thoughts, that someday that will occur again. As far as your stateroom is concerned, I beg you, do not be alarmed. I will explain further at another time, but I would like you to consider wearing this dress tomorrow and meeting me at dawn on the starboard side of the ship where we danced…I know this may seem an inconsiderate request, but I must ask you to consider, for I have something of the greatest importance to ask you. Until we meet again._

_Your Dance Partner_

Thomas grinned at his so called 'signature', but he figured Rose would figure it out, besides... better he sign the letter this way than write his full name, just in case Cal decided to embark on something foolish. Thomas growled under his breath at the thought of the villain. Quietly, he snuck out of Rose's room and replaced the key where it belonged…

Exactly two minutes after Thomas had exited Rose DeWitter's stateroom, the girl entered the door frame of her stateroom and searched for the key.

Rose didn't know why, but she had a funny feeling that all was not as she'd left it. Opening her stateroom door, Rose turned on the gas lamp, the one Thomas had turned off. Looking around the room, Rose noticed that everything seemed to be in order, with the exception of one thing. The dress on the bed was not the same one that she had put there before leaving the room.

_Now I know that I didn't leave that there… who on earth?_She froze. Could Cal have entered her room without her knowledge? What use would he have to enter her stateroom, when she was not there? Looking closer at the bed, Rose noticed two things that made her heart race. One was her comb! She had noticed her comb was missing on her way back to her stateroom.

Could it be that Thomas had actually come into her room and done this, under the pretense of returning her comb? A heated blush came onto Rose's cheeks No, it wasn't possible. Then Rose picked up the second item that had caught her attention.

It was a letter with her name on the front, in excellent penmanship. **_Rose_** Opening the letter, Rose read the note quickly, grinned, and then read it again, slowly. It WAS Thomas! Aye and he wanted her to wear this dress and meet him at the place where they had shared their moonlight dance!

Excitement overcame the girl at once! She wondered what on earth the shipbuilder would want to ask her. Giggling excitedly, Rose spun around the room, and then got ready for bed. Saying her prayers and washing her face, she got into bed and smiled to herself. She couldn't wait until tomorrow!


	12. A Misunderstanding?

A/N: Ok, here's the next chapter… I hope you like it. I recently saw another movie of Victor Garber's Annie (1999) and he's bald! Lol I have the utmost respect for him, so I'll stop teasing him now. BTW my oc character Annabelle looks just like the girl off of the new version of Annie. ;)

Disclaimer: cqofegypt does not own Titanic, Cinderella, Annie, or any music thereof :'(

**April 13****th**** 1912 12:30AM**

**Ruth's Stateroom **

Thomas went to Ruth's stateroom door and knocked softly. The door opened a moment later.

"Ah, Mr. Andrews… please come in" said Ruth with a smile. She still had her ball gown on. Thomas smiled sheepishly.

"Forgive me for disturbing you Ruth, but I have something of importance to discuss with you" Ruth smiled at him, wondering if it had anything to do with Rose.

"I…well… how do I start?" The man scratched his head nervously and paced the room. He'd never done this before, and he was quite anxious. Suddenly, Thomas' worried eyes met Ruth's kind gentle ones. Thomas took a deep breath and then began.

"Surely you must know how I feel about Rose… I know it has only been two days, but I…" he sighed and then straightened himself up, looking at Ruth determinedly. First come first serve, he'd always been told, and the seas take him under if Caledon Hockley was going to obtain Rose as a decoration on his arm!

"Ruth," he said, sitting down next to her and taking her hands. "For many years, I have felt the burden of pain and guilt since the day of your husband's death." Ruth looked confused, but she decided to let the man continue. Thomas opened his mouth again and sighed a little before speaking.

"I was only eighteen at the time; my father had told me to holler if something went wrong. I was 30 feet away from the workers, when I should have been right next to them… I'm not sure about this information, but I thought I saw Charles squatting under the load of steel before he tripped and fell. He tried to get up and make it to the other side, but three of the workers had let go of the ropes. The seven others had pulled harder, but the ropes started to snap. I tried to save your husband, but I was too late."

Flashback

_There were eleven men assigned to haul the five tons of steel to the __**Arizona's **__port deck. Thomas watched them all in fascination as they all pulled their hardest to raise the ropes that held the heavy load. Charles DeWitter was surveying the progress with minute scrutiny. Most of the men did their jobs well… wanted to feed their families. Others were just plain lazy. Three included Shamus O'Doherty, Michael Lynch, and Ian Foley. To his dismay the three men let go of the ropes. Charles was furious._

"_**What are ye doin? Get back to those ropes and pull, now!"**__ the three men grinned at each other and ganged up on Charles. "We don't work for ye, old timer" Shamus grinned wickedly. "Yeah, we got our own boss… ye don't tell us what to do any longer!" Ian snarled. Shamus nodded at Michael. He was a towering man with a silent countenance, but just as brutal as his comrades. All three of them pushed Charles under the load. _

_Charles let out a squawk and tripped over his two feet. Daring to look up, he could just see the load of lumber looming over him. He gulped, scrambling to crawl to the other side. There was one problem, in the fall, he'd twisted his ankle… he couldn't move. __**"Help!" **__he cried, hoping someone would hear him. No one could._

_Crying now, Charles thought of his darling Ruth, and little Rose. He prayed he'd be able to see them again. _

_Meanwhile, one of the starboard ropes was loose, and the mate needed help getting it back down. In consequence, one of the other mates let go of his rope to help the other. This left five men struggling to hold the middle steady… the sides of the rope net were tilting! _

_Thomas gasped in horror. What was going on? Why were there so few ropes? He rushed to help. Looking at the others, he scanned them, but did not see Charles DeWitter, his father's childhood friend. "Charlie!" he called. "Where are you?" he hollered._

_As he reached the load, young Thomas grabbed on to one of the ropes, the one Charles had used. He saw the three other men slacking. "Oy, ye sluggards!" He yelled. They looked at him with mean, sarcastic looks on their faces. "Get ye to your ropes now!" Thomas yelled. The three men ignored him._

_Feeling energy from his anger, Thomas turned his attention to the rope at hand. "Alright lads! When I say, heave! Heave!" all six of the men heaved as hard as they could. Panting for breath, Thomas swallowed; his mouth dry. "Again! Heave!" They pulled. Suddenly, Thomas heard the sound that was every shipmate's nightmare, the pulling and snapping of rope. Thomas gulped. He needed his father's help, and he needed it now!_

"_Oy! Dat! Hurry" Peter looked up as Thomas was calling him. "Dat we don't have much time! We can't hold it much longer!" Peter rushed to Thomas' side taking the rope from him. Thomas stood at his father's side, looking down underneath the load to make sure none of the ropes had snapped. That's when he saw Charles on the ground underneath the load. "Oy! Charlie! Get out of there!" Thomas cried. Was the man daft? Seventy five tons and he was sitting there like a frog on a pad? Charles tried again to move, this time using his arms in a lopsided military move. Slowly but surely he was making it from underneath the long and equally wide load of steel looming above his head. Both Thomas and Peter were thinking the same thing. How could this have happened? "__Hurry and get the starboard side of this raised!" Peter yelled. The older Andrews man noticed then that the left side was tilting. " O'Malley! Easy on the port side, man!" Colin O'Malley evened up the left side with the right. Once that was done, Peter pulled along with the others, but he too could hear the slow snapping of ropes. His stomach sank to his shoes._

_"__I gotta get him 'outta there!" Thomas said, ready to run and save Charles. "Get who out of there?" Peter asked. "Charles DeWitter!" Thomas cried. "he's under the load and I think he's hurt!" Peter gasped and then got frantic when Thomas tried to duck under the load. _

_"__Tomas, no!Get back here! You're mamma would kill me if I let you go under there!" Thomas gave Peter a look that said, 'If I were there would you try to save me?' Peter groaned and resolved to get the load raised up enough so that they could see Charles and get him out. "C'mon, men, Hurry!" The ropes finally snapped. The seventy five tons of steel started to plummet to the ground. "NO!" Peter and Thomas screamed at the same time._

_The starboard side of the load tilted and the mates moved out of the way without any consideration for Charles. He was still underneath…_

_"__No! Charles!" Peter screamed, as the seventy- five tons collapsed onto his childhood friend. There had been nothing. No scream, no movement, nothing… just…silence._

_"__No!" Thomas shrieked. He ran toward the wreckage, furious. He wanted to beat the devil out of any and all of them who dared not to save his father's friend. Charles DeWitter had been a kind, gentle man, with a wife and a ten year old daughter at sat on his knees where he stood. How would he tell them, Charles' family? What could he say, that their father and husband died by his hands?_

_Peter stopped his son and grabbed Thomas, pulling the boy to his feet, and into Peter's chest. That scene was unfit for any man…Charles DeWitter had in a sense, been murdered. Peter shielded _Thomas from _witnessing the gruesome scene._

"_There, now Tomas…steady lad" Peter whispered hoarsely, as tears coursed their way down his face. _

_Thomas continued to weep bitterly but softly. "'Tis all my fault Dat…I should have gotten there sooner" Thomas wept bitterly, angry at not doing more that he had done. _

_Peter held his son by the shoulder, shaking him slightly._

_"No use in blamin' yerself, boyo...what happened to Charles was an accident... don't let yer mind decieve ye…there was nothing you could have done."_

Ruth wept quietly, tears streaming down her face as she remembered that horrible night.

Flashback

_Ruth DeWitter opened the door, expecting her husband to be home any minute now. Rose had begged her to be able to stay up and greet her father. Finally, Ruth had agreed. She opened the door to see not her husband as she'd expected, but to meet the swollen, red, and puffy eyes of Peter Andrews. His young son Thomas was with him. _

_Ruth's smile vanished. "P-peter… How lovely to see you… won't you come in?" she moved aside. Rose followed her mother's example and looked after the men as they stood in the hallway. She turned to her mother._

"_Mum? Where's Dat?" she asked. Ruth met Peter's eyes once again. He shook his head sadly. _

_Terror gripped Ruth like a vice and tears instantly came to her eyes. Charles was dead! He would never come home again! They'd never have their family chats, or go ice fishing, or just enjoy each other's company! No more of him surprising her by wrapping her in his strong arms… his way of apologizing for not being able to give her a better life that she deserved, and no more reassuring him that she loved him and their life together, no more of him singing little Rose to sleep, or telling her bedtime stories of his adventures on the sea. No more…. No more…._

_Ruth took a deep breath, turning to Rose. "Rosie, dear… why don't you go upstairs and I'll tuck you in in a few minutes, aye?" Disappointed, Rose nodded, shuffling her feet, and walking slowly upstairs. Thomas had only glanced at the little girl as she looked at him. She had long red hair the same color of Charles' and stunning blue eyes. Just like him, she'd be a vision when she grew up; she'd make something of herself, even if her father had been taken away from her so early. _

'_Why? He thought. 'why didn't I get there fast enough? Why didn't I assert myself more with those lazy idiots?' Tears sprang to Thomas' eyes. He sat next to his father quietly, as Peter took Ruth's hands and spoke softly of what happened. Ruth was weeping. Peter gently explained about the insurance policy on Charles that it would give Ruth a little, not much. He also extended the Andrews' home to them. _

"_If you ever need anything, Ruth…I and my family will welcome you with open arms." Ruth smiled at her former fiancée. He had always been kind, even when she married Charles. "Thank you" she whispered, crying again. How on earth was she going to tell Rose?_

End flashback.

Ruth and Thomas both wiped tears from their eyes. "I am sorry I never told you this" Thomas whispered hoarsely. Ruth shook her head and squeezed his hand. "This was never your fault, Tom… it never was. It would have been if you ignored it, but you tried to save my husband… you had to follow your father's orders." She smiled tearfully.

"Charles forgives you I'm sure… but there's nothing to forgive. Now forget, and grasp on to the future and all that it holds" She smiled wisely.

Thomas pondered her meaning for a moment, but came up stuck. "Ruth, I have been meaning to ask you… I want to marry your daughter Rose, but I need your blessing."

Ruth smiled. "You've had it ever since you were eleven years old, Thomas" Thomas looked at her confused. Ruth laughed, wiping away her tears.

"What you may not know is, I was engaged to your father when I was young" Thomas looked surprised.

"I never knew that" he said quietly. Ruth nodded. "Then Charles came along… your father could tell I loved him, so he let me go…I married Charles a year later"

Thomas smiled. "I'm glad you did" Ruth laughed. "Yes, sibling marriages happened in Biblical times… not today" Thomas laughed as well.

"Anyway, as an apology, and mutual gratification that our families would be united, I suggested to Charles, who suggested to Peter that we have an arranged marriage."

Thomas looked at Ruth in surprise and grinned. "Ruth you have no idea how happy a man you have made me… to give me your most precious possession." Ruth smiled.

"I am happy, Thomas… you do realize that Mr. Hockley also asked for her hand, don't you?" Thomas growled under his breath and frowned at Ruth.

"He did?" he asked. Ruth nodded. "He is a brute. And I daresay he does not treat Rose the way she needs to be treated" Thomas nodded curtly.

"However," Ruth said thoughtfully. "There is one man that can help us to keep him at bay" Thomas looked at her. "Who could that be?" he asked. Ruth looked toward the door and nodded respectfully.

Thomas turned and noticed Spicer Lovejoy at the door with a little brown haired girl in tow. Thomas looked from Lovejoy to the girl and back again.

"Mr. Lovejoy, what is the meaning of this?" he asked as he stood up. "My young friend here was looking for Miss Rose. It appears Annabelle has grown quite fond of your… fiancée" Spicer said with a smile.

Ruth eyed Thomas mischievously from her seat, and Annabelle covered her mouth with a giggle. Thomas looked uncertain at the little girl, and blushed.

"Oh, well I um… I believe that Rose is asleep just now." Annabelle stepped up to the shipbuilder and grinned at him. "How would you know that, unless you went into her room, Mr. Andrews?" she winked and curtsied.

Thomas felt slight frustration. He didn't quite like the idea of being ratted out by a… "Um, I don't mean to be rude, but who are you, and how old are you?"

Annabelle looked from Spicer, back to Thomas. "Um, is it just me, or are you deaf? Because I could have sworn he just told you my name" she drawled. Thomas' patience was wearing ice thin (excuse the pun)

"Annabelle!" Spicer hissed. The little girl looked back up at Spicer and grinned sheepishly. "Oops… sorry… anyway, I'm eight." As Annabelle turned to him, Spicer frowned and motioned for her to come to him.

"It is way past your bedtime young lady" Spicer fussed. Annabelle, whose nickname happened to be Annie, grinned back at Thomas.

"Goodbye Mr. Andrews! Don't forget the engagement ring!" Thomas growled under his breath at the retreating girl. The nerve of some females! Thomas turned back to Ruth who happened to be chuckling.

"That's Annie" she said. "She helps Rose and I around with our chores sometimes. I believe she's related to Lucy Donaldson" Thomas nodded at the mention of the blonde maid.

She'd mentioned something about having a little sister. "About the engagement ring, Thomas" Ruth said, drawing the shipbuilder out of his thoughts.

Ruth took her rings off of her left hand. She pulled another one from her necklace.

"These belonged to my husband and I… I want you and Rose to have them… they save the economy as well stay in the family."

Thomas smiled at Ruth's thoughtfulness. She was right. Besides, gold was very expensive nowadays. He took the rings into his hand, putting the two meant for Rose in his coat pocket with his notebook.

Asking Ruth's permission, and it being granted, he tried on Charles' ring on his left ring finger. It fit like a glove. Thomas smiled. It felt oddly satisfying, having a wedding ring on his finger. 'Gabriella will think twice about her movements from now on' he thought with glee. Ruth chuckled. They were probably thinking the same thing.

Taking the ring off, he put it also in his notebook pocket, kissed Ruth's cheek as they exchanged pleasantries, and walked out the door.

As Thomas turned around, he bumped into someone. As he took a good look and what or who he had bumped into, he noticed to his annoyance that it was Annabelle. His eyes narrowed.

"What, may I ask, are you doing here?" he said, irritated. He pulled out his pocket watch and glanced at the time. "Are you not aware that it is nearly one in the morning?"

Annabelle nodded. "Yup! I'm allowed to stay up late" Thomas frowned; he found that hard to believe. "Where are your parents?" he asked. Annie shrugged. "I don't have any" Thomas rolled his eyes. "Well then who are you here with?" she grinned. "My older sister, Lucy"

Thomas rolled his eyes once more. "And is she not in her stateroom, getting her rest?" Annie giggled. This Irishman was funny. His accent was getting stronger with every syllable.

Thomas felt a vein was going to pop out of his head until he heard the soft opening and closing of one of the doors. There stood Rose, in her white nightgown, her hair in a loose braid, and her eyes, sleepy and confused.

"Thomas? What are you doing up at this forbidden hour?" Thomas smiled and blushed as he walked toward her, taking her into his embrace.

"Everything is alright, Rose…Miss Annie and I were having a slight…discussion" Thomas made a strained effort to smile at Annie. It wasn't working well, and Annie knew it. She grinned again.

Smiling a little, Rose stepped toward Annabelle. "Annie, dear, don't you think it's time you got to bed?" she asked. Rose was eye to eye with the girl. Annie smiled and nodded demurely.

"Yes, Ms. Rose. I was just telling Mr. Andrews how well you two look together." She winked at Thomas, who controlled the attempt to growl and call the girl a liar. Rose was blushing.

"Ah, yes… well… a kind thought, but one best saved when we're all rested and thinking clearly." Rose urged Annie on in the direction of Lucy's room, but not before the girl gave Thomas one last smile and wink.

"Good night Mr. Andrews… here's hoping you'll tell her how you feel to her face!" Thomas looked at the girl in shock. She had known he had snuck into Rose's room!

"Sleep well Annie… you'll need it" Andrews muttered the last part under his breath. He had half a mind to give Lucy the day off, and to give Annie all of her sister's chores in the morning. Rose smiled slightly at Thomas' brooding mood.

"Won't ye come inside for a bit?" she asked. Thomas smiled. It was considered improper for a man and a woman to have conversation out in the hall alone, especially when the lady had nothing but a white, cotton nightgown on.

Smiling at her, and taking her once more into his embrace, he shook his head. "No, I'd better not. It will be dawn in a few hours… I hope to see you then, my dear" Rose smiled, the pink hue on her cheeks darkening.

"Very well, Mr. Andrews… goodnight, Thomas" she whispered his name, planting a soft kiss on his cheek. It was Thomas' turn to blush.

He watched her walk back into her room, and heard the satisfying 'click' of the door lock. Heading back to his office, the young man cleared off his desk, and then locked it on the way to his stateroom.

Preparing his clothes for the next morning, and getting ready for bed, the shipbuilder smiled, taking out Ruth's and now Rose's engagement ring and viewing it.

To think that his once father-in-law-to-be had picked this ring for his soon to be mother-in-law and now Thomas himself was about to place the same jeweled band on Rose's finger.

Placing the ring back where it belonged for the time being, excitement welled up in the man's chest as he laid his head on the pillows. He couldn't wait to see the look on Rose's face at dawn the next morning…

A man walked back in the direction he came when the couple dispersed in separate directions. Wanting to pound a fist into the wall, he stopped, thought about it, shook his head, and walked on.

Money was a precious item in these times, yet, so was Rose. Sighing, the man nodded to a passerby who was with a woman, and did not pay him any heed.

Walking back to his quarters, the stranger couldn't help the feelings of anger, suffering, and jealousy; Jealousy that Thomas Andrews had gotten the attentions of the woman who held his heart and the prospect of marriage. He resolved that now was the time to get Rose back…

O_o can you guess who it is? R&R!

* * *

Disclaimer: Cqofegypt does not own Titanic (or any mention of Annie)

Dawn April 13th 1912

Thomas Andrews' Stateroom

Thomas woke up early to the soft rapping of his steward Henry's soft knock at the door. Thomas had asked him the previous day to wake him up at the crack of dawn, and no later. The shipbuilder sleepily rubbed his eyes, and then remembered what day it was.

Grinning, he bathed quickly, and dressed carefully, being sure to take the razor to his chin, cheeks and neck. After completing those tasks, he wiped his face with a towel and combed his hair.

For someone who had never proposed marriage in his life, Thomas was feeling rather nervous, and giddy with excitement. As he walked down the hall from his stateroom to the door that led to the main deck and the stern of the ship, he went over in his mind what he planned to do. Should he get down on his knee, take her hand and propose and then explain? Did she even know about their being betrothed for all of these years without even knowing it?

Would she be content with her mother's ring, or did he need to find another ring, (and on the double)? All of these thoughts jumbled in the shipbuilder's head as his heart raced, making his way to the stern of the ship to wait for his beloved.

_I must get to the sea…_ he thought. _Perhaps looking over the horizon will calm me down._ As he neared the stern, however, someone was there before him. Andrews froze. Who was this? Thomas gulped. Did they know of his plans?

Suddenly the person turned around and Thomas noticed it was Jack with a smile on his face. "Hi Mr. Andrews…. What are you doing up so early?" Andrews let out a breath, though the tension in his chest wouldn't go away.

"Good morning to you, Jack…I came out here specifically to stand where you are now…I'm waiting for someone" Jack cocked his head in interest. "Wouldn't be Rose, would it?" he asked.

Thomas got a questioning look in his eye. "How did you…?" Jack grinned, holding up a hand, and then standing straight from his position. Jack bit his lip, looked into the distance, then looked back at Thomas. "I heard you're planning to marry her"

Though it puzzled him as to why, Thomas started to blush. "I-I am… though I do not see…" "It has EVERYTHING to do with ME!"

Jack hollered, catching the shipbuilder off guard. A tear slid down Jack's face. He punched his hand with his fist, sniffed, wiping his tears and nose on his sleeve. "I love her, alright… I LOVE her! And for you to just barge in…."

Thomas looked at the boy incredulously. "What in the world are you saying, Jack? You mean all the time that Rose and I were together…you…" Thomas smiled after a second then nodded his head. "Ah, you think that her being with me, makes her think that she's too good for you, is that it?"

Jack looked at Andrews in shock. "Too good for me? Too GOOD for me? The only person she's too good for is you!" Again, Thomas gave Jack a confused look. "What in heaven's name are you talking about?"

Jack glared at him. "You know EXACTLY what I'm talking about! I'd go to the Master at Arms, only, hey…I'm Jack Dawson, a nobody… who the heck (derogatory) is gonna listen to me?" Thomas was trying to find out what in the world Jack was going on about when he stormed off all of a sudden.

Thomas looked behind the young artist, bewildered and aloof. Gripping the rails of the stern, he shook his head. "Lord, only you know what's going on in the mind of my young friend, Jack. I've tried to apologize in a way, but it's hard when I've done nothing wrong." He sighed. "I pray you would bring him peace and contentment, Lord, in Your Magnificent Name I pray, Amen"

Thomas looked at the sea and smiled to himself. It was getting lighter, and he could still see the ocean for miles around, dolphins beginning to jump. The shipbuilder chuckled. It wasn't often that he got to enjoy the richness of nature.

Thomas was just starting to wonder where Rose was and how long it would take for her to come, when he heard his name being called "Ah! Andrews! There you are!" With an inward groan, Thomas turned to see Bruce Ismay and Captain Smith headed in his direction.

"Tom! We were wondering where you'd gotten to… your valet said you'd be up here, though I couldn't imagine why" Bruce frowned. Captain Edward Smith allowed himself a smile. _I can,_ he thought to himself.

"Well, good morning gentlemen" said Thomas, startled at their arrival, anxious that they'd ruin his plan, for instance take him away from this very spot. "What on earth are you doing here at this ungodly hour, Tom?" Bruce asked. Again, Edward let himself a smile.

"Enjoying the salt air and the breeze" Thomas said which was only half true. The other was waiting, just behind them. Thomas smiled in Rose's direction.

"If you will excuse me, gentlemen… I have another matter to attend to-" Bruce chuckled, as if not hearing him.

"Really, Tom… did you forget about our conference?" he asked. Captain Smith and Thomas both gave Bruce a surprised look.

"I was not aware of any such conference" Thomas said. "Surely you remember" Bruce insisted.

"We planned to discuss the prospects of picking up speed, reaching New York by tomorrow night… or morning if necessary"

Thomas' young jaw set, as he glanced at Edward. The captain looked rather embarrassed, looking at the floorboards.

"The captain agrees?" Thomas asked, tightly, placing his arm around Rose, who had joined him. Edward nodded ruefully, still incapable of meeting Thomas eye to eye.

"So, the sooner we can work things out the better" Bruce said cheerfully, completely oblivious to Rose's presence.

"You might as well speak to Mr. Bell… seeing as you know him far better than I or the captain" Bruce smiled, what Thomas perceived as a cynical smile.

Titanic was his legally, and he was holding that power over their heads. Thomas scowled, but stated politely.

"Very well, Mr. Ismay… I will speak to Mr. Bell as soon as possible." Bruce nodded satisfactorily. Before he turned, the Captain gave Thomas an apologetic look.

"I am truly sorry, Tom… I tried to warn him about what we had discussed, but…" Thomas nodded, frustrated with the whole situation, and that Bruce was inadvertently ruining his whole plan for this morning… all in front of Rose.

"Yes, Captain, I understand… I will approach Mr. Bell just as soon as I'm able" Edward nodded again, tipping his hat toward young Rose. She smiled softly and nodded.

As the captain walked away, Thomas turned to Rose, placing his left arm around her waist. He sighed.

"Darling Rose, I" he smiled then, trying not to laugh at the absurdity of it all. "I pray you'll forgive me… I wanted to ask you a question, however in a more…romantic setting" he gingerly touched the wispy tendrils of her hair, smoothing it back. Rose closed her eyes and smiled a little.

"There is nothing to forgive, Thomas… would you rather wait?" Thomas looked at her appreciatively.

"Well, no… I'd like to ask you now, but it appears that there are people approaching this very deck." Rose nodded. "Then it's not to be…at least at the moment"

Thomas grinned at her, feeling giddy and excited all at once. In his inner left breast pocket were the symbols of their impending life together; If only he could place it on her finger now… but no.

"Rose… would you consider… that is… meeting me here tonight, at sunset?" Rose grinned. "Of course" she said squeezing his hands.

"Oh, Rose… you've made me a happy man… and I'll be even happier this evening… I'm sure." Rose looked at him in curiosity.

"What do you mean?" she asked. Thomas winked, grinned and kissed her forehead.

"Never mind that now… and what's this? You're still in your nightdress!" he whispered in shock, as he chuckled.

Rose giggled and leaned against him, her head against his shoulder, and her cheek against his right breast.

"I know… I was just excited… no use in spoiling… surprises" she winked. Thomas laughed.

"Yes… now then, you take my coat… no arguments now, and get to your stateroom before these lovely ladies faint of shock"

Rose gave him a look that said, 'wouldn't that be a good thing?' Thomas laughed again, straightening his coat on her shoulders and placing his arm around them as he walked her toward the first class entry doorway.

"Until this evening, mo ghra" he whispered, walking away slowly, not wanting to let her go.

"Until this evening my darling" Rose answered, blowing him a kiss. He looked back at her with a bashful smile and she laughed, as he disappeared from sight.

She was preparing to go inside, but not before she heard the following conversation from the two gossips heading in her direction.

1st lady: Dear, dear… such scandal!

2nd lady: Yes, my dear, and my, would you look at such clothing… hardly modest, wouldn't you say?

1st lady: Why of course! It's no doubt they've had a midnight rendezvous, if you understand my…

She looked at Rose, who by now looked at her puzzled

1st lady: _meaning_

The two ladies started chortling. Rose felt her face getting hot.

2nd lady: And of course you know about that Andrews fellow…

1st lady: Why no! I never heard a word! Pray, tell

The two ladies seemed to be enjoying their little chat, and seemed to purposefully deem Rose herself as the focus of their conversation

2nd lady: Well,

She huffed, as if getting pleasure out of the next piece of juicy gossip.

2nd lady: It is common knowledge, don't you know, among some of the working men, that Mr. Andrews has a wife living in London…

1st lady: Um, my dear… I do believe it was Ireland…

2nd lady: Oh, yes… silly me… well, his wife is living in Ireland with their three year old daughter… he literally abandoned them! No one ever knew of their fate

The first lady clucked her tongue.

1st lady: Oh, that poor child… Thomas Andrews is a beast! A true monster for leaving his wife and daughter in that horrible position!

2nd lady: Yes, and to think that now he is intended…

She turned her venomous brown gaze on Rose. The first lady turned to Rose with a wicked smile.

1st lady: how dreadful!

They laughed as they walked away, leaving Rose confused, frightened, and all the more depressed. Thomas was married to another woman and he had a child?

That was impossible! Why hadn't Thomas told her? Why had he…enchanted her, all for naught? Rose tried not to cry, but ended up weeping as she walked down the hall to her stateroom. She could never hope to marry Thomas now…

The two women made their way to the Café for breakfast where they met someone there.

"Is it done?" the person asked. The two women nodded. "She was absolutely terrified" said the Countess of Rothes' niece, Glenda.

"Indeed… if only I could relive to see the look on her face" chuckled the other, Angelica… goddaughter of Colonel and Lady Gracie.

"Perfect" grinned the stranger, as they placed a bag of money on the table. "The money is yours… and the shipbuilder…" the person cackled… "Belongs only to me"

The other young women laughed nervously. What on Earth had they just done?

Annie looked all around for Rose that morning. She was so excited! She'd never seen a real engagement ring up close before. Annie walked past Rose's stateroom when she heard the unmistakable sound of crying.

"Miss Rose?" Rose gasped and looked up. "Oh, Annie… it's you" Rose sniffed. Annie looked at Rose confused and concerned. "Why are you crying?"

Rose continued to cry for a second. "I found out he is already married… he has a wife and daughter in Ireland" Annie cocked her head. She'd always thought Mr. Andrews was alone and was looking for someone like Ms. Rose.

"But didn't Mr. Andrews…" Annie gasped as she covered her mouth. Rose looked at her.

"Didn't Mr. Andrews do what?" Annie shook her head. "Never mind…uh…I gotta find Lucy! Bye!" Rose looked after Annie's retreating form suspiciously. Ah well… might as well get her chores done…

Annie found Lucy in the middle of a discussion with Ruth. Annie tugged at her sister's sleeve.

"Lucy…Lucy! I have to tell you something!" Lucy looked at her little sister exasperatedly.

"Annabelle… where are your manners, can't you see I'm speaking to someone?" Annie sighed and stamped her foot.

"But you gotta listen! Ms. Rose is upset! She said she heard that Mr. Andrews is married and has a wife and daughter in Ireland!" Lucy looked from Annie to Ruth and back again. Ruth shook her head.

"Annie… if you've been making up one of your stories again…" Annie shook her head vehemently. "But I'm not! I'm telling the truth this time! Honest!" Lucy again looked to Ruth.

"I'm sorry Mrs. DeWitter… my sister can be a little…" Ruth shook her head again.

"No, it's not that… Thomas…ah, Mr. Andrews and I would exchange letters back and forth frequently… he was close to our family, you see… he would have told me if he was married, and he certainly wouldn't have asked me for Rose's hand in marriage if that were so."

Lucy looked back at Annie who had a 'see, I told you' look on her face. Lucy sighed and rolled her eyes. She liked Rose.

She was sweet and quiet, and kept to herself most times. She was also blessed, Lucy felt, to have a man like Thomas Andrews pine for her affection.

If someone were spreading terrible tales, then he needed to be notified at once!

* * *

A/N: I'd like to point out to my readers again, that this is an Alternate Universe story. The plot is mine… with a little extra help The discussion between the two ladies is not just a rumor, it is an actual detail of the real Thomas Andrews. He did have a wife and daughter. My AU version of Thomas is twenty-eight, and single, though nearly engaged. Just thought I'd point that out. Enjoy! R&R!


End file.
